We recently connected with Nedra Stevenson and have shared our conversation below.

Nedra , appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

The moment when I thought I wanted to be an accountant. My brother questioned why I wanted to be an accountant. I couldn’t give him a reason, so he said, well you’re not good at numbers and you’re more of a people person. While I was looking for a career, my stepmother informed me of Sanford Brown Business School and encouraged me to apply. A short while later, a friend informed me of their Medical Assistant program, so I applied. Then I found out I was pregnant with twins and had to be on bed rest, and I almost didn’t finish school. However, my OBGYN didn’t want me to quit; she allowed me to complete my internship at her office. After my twins were born, I found out that one of my twins was diagnosed with Sickle Disease. Alot of hardships hit from being a single mother and trying to survive with a sick child. I found it extremely difficult, but in the meantime, people help me. I told God I wanted a job so I can help people like the many wonderful people helped me. I began working as a Medical Assistant, but I needed secure benefits for my family, so I applied at Barnes Jewish Hospital as a Patient Registrar in the ER (worked from 1999-2004). I was still trying to survive to raise my now 3 children, with people still helping me. I spoke to God again; I want to help people just like someone helped me. Hitting all kinds of barriers in life, but I ended up going to school at Florissant Valley Community College entering into their Human Service Program because I wanted to become a social worker. It took 4 years to complete the 2-year program. I ended up applying back at Barnes Jewish Hosptial, became a Patient Registrar on the mammography van, after a year in the position, I applied for position as a Patient Navigator at Barnes Jewish Hospital Breast Health Center. I have now been there for 15 years. As I saw how cancer patients were being diagnosed, I was always trying to figure out how I could help them more. So today, I am the CEO/Founder/Patient Navigator for Butterfly Beginnings: My Journey My Destiny.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As a Breast Health Outreach Patient Navigator, starting Butterfly Beginnings wasn’t on my agenda until the pandemic appeared. Again, going through some hardships, for one going on furlough and a job that was promised, I didn’t get it, so I wanted to know what my purpose was. God said your passion is your purpose. God gave me an assignment. The assignment was to arrange family and friends to send care packages to our sister-friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer. I see a friend who was talented in creating gift baskets, so I asked her to build a care kit package for my friend. God said you have completed the assignment, now I want you to start a nonprofit organization, providing care kits for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. That started the foundation of Butterfly Beginnings. The care kits include essential needs such as natural deodorants and body soaps because the chemicals from other deodorants and body washes can be more detrimental than helpful. The kits also include crossword puzzles, a blanket, and a gift card to Ann’s Bra Shop among other things. Each kit is tailored to meet the patient’s anticipated treatment plan. A patient receiving a double mastectomy will receive a kit slightly different than the one receiving chemo radiation treatment.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What built my reputation as Patient Navigator, is staying consistent. I realize that this is a ministry. It’s about compassion, advocacy, respect & empathy. It’s about caring. As a patient navigator at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Patient (s) that was diagnosed with breast cancer and would come back for treatments or annual exams, would see me and would call out my name and say thank you for helping me through my healing. I made sure that they had insurance and was connected with other organizations to help financial and mentally throughout their treatment. As a CEO of Butterfly Beginnings, we have clients that has turned into companions, not wanting to let go, they would call us to say hello and continue to thank our organization for being there for them with assisting them with financial support, nutritional, wholistic health and holistic wellness.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When the pandemic took place and I was furloughed, I suffered from PTSD, anxiety & depression, that was their diagnosis. I realize I couldn’t get through it by myself, so I was able to seek help. I was trying to figure out what was my purpose, if you recall I was promised a job, but I was denied the position when we went back to work from furlough, I didn’t know what my purpose was, but God showed me I did have a purpose and it was to start a nonprofit organization. Working in the position for 14 plus years he said you do have a purpose. He wrote the vision, gave me the plan and now we have Butterfly Beginnings: My Journey My Destiny, that started the organization with the foundation of building care kits, now called Chrysalis Care Kits. One year and 10 months we have built 2 programs to assist the women in the community to be healthy through their journey of healing to reach their destiny.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.butterflybeginnings.org
• Instagram: instagram.com/bbmyjmyd
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbmyjmyd
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nedra-stevenson

Image Credits
Nedra Stevenson (CEO/Founder) & Euorea Moore (Client to Companion/Patient Navigator) Client Testimonials Photos taken and composed by Nedra Stevenson