We were lucky to catch up with Roberta Albany recently and have shared our conversation below.
Roberta, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
My life changed after being diagnosed with Stage IIB, Hormone Receptor Positive, Grade 3, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in December 2013 at the age of 44, after being informed in April of 2013 that I had a clean mammogram. My life was turned upside down to say the least. Before being diagnosed I was very active with my exercise regimen, training for a half marathon with Black Girls Run Philadelphia (BGR-Montgomery County) and eating a healthy diet. To hear the words, You Have Cancer was devastating. After various appointments, tests, and surgeries I began chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy for ten years; more importantly, I began educating myself regarding the various subtypes of breast cancer. While educating myself, I noticed there was a disconnect regarding the outcomes of underrepresented communities. To be part of the solution, I became a Young Women’s Advocate via Living Beyond Breast Cancer in September 2015.
Roberta, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Roberta A Albany and I’m a lifelong resident of Pennsylvania and on my downtime, I enjoy reading, exercising and spending time with friends and family. I got into this because of my cancer diagnosis in December 2013 where I realized there was a gap in care for those who look like me. As time went on, I volunteered with various organizations to bridge the gap in underrepresented communities especially in the Black/African American community. A big part of my advocacy work is centered around educating the public about metastatic breast cancer and the importance of participating in clinical trials. I get to continue this important work with organizations like The Chrysalis Initiative, SWOG Cancer Research Network, Living Beyond Breast Cancer to name a few. In 2020, I was nominated for the Living Beyond Breast Cancer Donna Noce Colaco Going Beyond Award and officially launched Cancer In The Know with the goal of sharing my advocacy work, connecting others to the various resources that’s available to them and help to close the knowledge gap of breast cancer in the Black/African American community.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Being honest, reliable, and authentic and I knew that community needed to be built.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Though people may have been diagnosed with cancer I had to learn the hard way that not everyone’s perspective on life changes after such a diagnosis like cancer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cancerintheknow.com
- Instagram: https://roberta.albany
- Facebook: Roberta A Albany
- Linkedin: Roberta A Albany
- Twitter: raalbany