We recently connected with Shant’a Miller White and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shant’a, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
After my family experienced firsthand the traumatic effects of a horrible bullying incident that involved her daughter. The attack caused her to confront the issue of bullying head on and I found herself dealing with medical, safety and other concerns that were impacting her family. So, I turned a negative situation into a positive one and vowed to do everything in her power to prevent another child, family or community from dealing with the stress and trauma that her family endured. Since the incident I have dedicated my life to serving families everywhere and to stamp out bullying wherever it raises its ugly head. Through the efforts of Parents Against Bullying and P.U.S.H. LLC. PABVA provides annual events, monthly workshops, weekly mentoring sessions, summer camps, school visits, assist community centers and much more.
My efforts have garnered recognition and support from individuals and organizations such as: Former First Lady Michelle Obama, the United States Attorney General’s office, United States Senator Mark Warner, Newport News Mayor McKinley Price, Newport News Commonwealth Attorney Howard Gywnn, Commonwealth of Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, Hampton University, Christopher Newport University, the Newport News Public School System, Hampton Human Services, Williamsburg Human Services, the Boys and Girls Club VA Peninsula, Office Max/Office Depot, Peninsula Town Center, PepsiCo., United Way, Herr’s, Chipotle’s, 5 Guys Burgers, the Hampton Roads Show, CNN, WAVY TV 10 (NBC), WTKR TV 3 (CBS), 97. 3 (PRN) the Eagle, 95.7 (WVKL) R & B, Redink Radio Live and many others.
I shares my message of healing, restoration, elevation and growth at hundreds of events throughout the year. Our No-Bully Zones and other annual events raise awareness and instill best practices that are powered by a call to action. I motivates all not to just be great… but exceedingly great!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
ADVOCATE, AUTHOR, CONSULTANT, SPEAKER
Shant’a Miller-White I am mother, entrepreneur, pioneer and leader in her own right. Short in stature (but even bigger in heart) and with every ounce of determination and strength in her being, she founded a non-profit organization: Parents Against Bullying VA Having experienced a horrible bullying occurrence a few years with her daughter, I turned a negative into a positive and vowed to do everything in her power to prevent another child, family or community from going thru what my family endured.
I have committed her life to serving the youth and families in Hampton Roads by providing annual events, weekly mentoring sessions, visits to local schools, community centers etc. Having received 2 proclamations from the City of Hampton’s Mayor George Wallace 4 Proclamations from Newport News Mayor McKinley Price. I received a certificate of recognition from the Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam. I was nominated for the 2020 “Unsung Hero” award from the Attorney General office Mark Herrings for the state of Virginia.
I continues to build self-esteem and confidence in our children, raise awareness in the community regarding this national epidemic of bullying and provide a support system to those in need. I along with my entire P.A.B. VA team are a force to be reckoned with. She strongly believes that it takes a village to raise a child and having a strong spiritual foundation helps her deal with any and all obstacles to ensure that the goals and objectives of P.A.B.VA are met and exceeded!
I have also started my Radio/Podcast (PUSH Talk with Shant’a Nichole to give a platform to others to share their stories. I believe everyone has a story but it’s what you do with yours. This show is available on RedInk Radio Live .
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
One day while in her car, I kept clearing her throat and thought to herself that something was wrong. Using the car’s rearview mirror, she opened her mouth and looked inside. She noticed one of her tonsils looked enlarged. She immediately made a U-turn into the urgent care facility nearby.
After tests and negative results, she was referred to her family doctor, who after three weeks, referred her to an ear, nose and throat specialist. As time progressed, her tonsils continued to grow larger. While she had no pain at this point, her sleep pattern changed. Either she would wake up coughing or choking or awaken because of it. “I was scared, and I knew my body and it was telling me this is not normal,”
During meetings and speaking engagements ,I had a hard time breathing but she pressed forward. Then came more doctors’ visits and many more medical tests. This went on for over eight weeks, with I visiting the Emergency Room on several occasions because it was hard for her to breathe. “I could barely eat, I was tired because I couldn’t sleep, and my work was suffering as well. Something had to be done,”
On one particular doctor’s visit, she begged him to remove her tonsils. She was warned that removing them at her age could be rough. She insisted, as there was an enlarged ball in her throat that she knew wasn’t supposed to be there. The medical staff seemed concerned while examining her throat. At that point, she persisted with the surgery and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Shant’a went to the store the day before her surgery and bought all kinds of popsicles, applesauce, apple juice, pudding, grits and oatmeal. All of the things they advise to eat after a tonsillectomy. The surgery went well. They biopsied the tissue as a typical procedure, and she was released to go home. However, on the second day home, she woke up to the most excruciating pain.
“I felt like I had swallowed a box of razors and each time I tried to swallow I was being cut on the inside. My throat was on fire. I was coughing up blood and the bleeding wouldn’t stop. I was home alone; the girls were away at school and my fiancé was at work. I didn’t know what to do so I called my mom. With a throat full of blood, my voice couldn’t go louder than a whisper. Mom rushed right over, called the doctor, and took me in immediately.”
I was admitted back to surgery where the incision was cauterized. The bleeding stopped, and she was released to go back home. At the follow-up appointment, she learned the biopsy revealed throat cancer. “I felt like the air was let out of me. All I could think about were my kids. As soon as I heard the word ’cancer,’ I thought of dying. The doctor kept talking but I couldn’t hear him. Although I knew the road ahead would be challenging, I was so grateful that I listened to my body and forced the doctor to have the tonsillectomy. My second surgery was scheduled for the following month.”
While there was full transparency from her medical team, her home life was the opposite. I hid her diagnosis from her twin daughters. “Their high school graduation was coming up and I wanted them to graduate with happy hearts and to be excited about their next steps. College awaited them. I wanted to have everything perfect so no one would be worried about me, so I kept postponing and pushing the surgery date further and further away,”
“It was like I was stuck and couldn’t move forward, petrified of what could happen. I didn’t tell anyone that I was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. I did not stop my work with PABVA, even though I was suffering physically. So, I kept pushing and praying, which I’ve learned to go hand in hand most of the time.
I put off my surgery so many times that I had to sign a medical release form. They did not want to be responsible if something bad happened to me – and I understood their position. I was just trying to keep my life as normal as possible for as long as I could.”
I finally scheduled her surgery. After the seven-hour procedure, she woke up in the ICU, very groggy, with a feeding tube, and two tubes running out of her neck, an incision from behind her ear to the middle of her throat, and two incisions on the top of her shoulder blade. During all this time, My Husband never left her side.
Three days later, while still in the ICU, her doctor walked in and gave the greatest news ever… “I was cancer-free. No radiation needed. No chemo needed.” Every day when she looks in the mirror and touches her scars, she sees them and they give her hope. “Look at God! My scars aren’t ugly – they are truly my testimony.”
I feel stronger today than yesterday. Her goals and agenda have not changed. In fact, she feels more rejuvenated than ever as she has been blessed with more time. She is reminded that she pushed through too much. To push means to move forward using force to get past something or someone. And as CEO for P.U.S.H. Professional Consulting, LLC, her motto—and what I continues to live by—is P.U.S.H. (P=Patience,U=Understanding, S=Stabliity to H=Handle your Business). Through all of this even in the bed in the hospital I continued to serve the community as an advocate even on my near dead bed,
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Before the incident with my Daughters I owned and operated a salon for 10 years. After my daughter attack by her bullying and her ending up having seizures 5 out of 7 days , I had to make a difficult decision to the Mother or keep my salon full time , Well I choose to be Mom! I would do it all over again. I do miss my salon and clients but I know this role is now my assignment.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pabva.com www.shantanichole.com
- Instagram: Shantanichole_ Parents Against Bullying ( IG p.a.b.va
- Facebook: Parents Against Bullying VA
- Linkedin: Shant’a Miller White
- Twitter: Parents Against Bullying VA
- Youtube: Parents Against Bullying VA
Image Credits
Photo Credit Kevin Moore