For as long as she can remember, Tiffany Williams wanted to make a difference, especially in the healthcare field. She earned her doctorate degree and began working as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Her focus centered around addressing and finding solutions to racial and ethnic disparities in cancer care. However, shares Cure Today, Tiffany’s journey faced an unexpected obstacle when she learned that she had multiple myeloma (MM). While she did have to leave her job, Tiffany transformed her pain into action. She is now a passionate advocate working to raise awareness of these disparities on a greater level.

What is Multiple Myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a rare cancer that forms in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally helps the body to fight infections. As multiple myeloma cells accumulate in bone marrow, they crowd out healthy cells. These cancerous cells also produce high levels of M proteins, abnormal antibodies that are a hallmark of multiple myeloma. Symptoms of multiple myeloma vary and can include fatigue, frequent infections, unintentional weight loss, bone pain, nausea and vomiting, constipation, appetite loss, weakness or numbness of the lower extremities, excessive thirst, and hypercalcemia.

Becoming an Advocate

Much research focuses on the relationship between cancer and racial or ethnic inequities. For example, the National Cancer Institute notes that those of Black or African-American descent have higher death rates for many cancer types. Did you know that:

• women of Black or African-American descent are more likely to die of breast cancer than Caucasian women
• Black or African-American men are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer than Caucasian men
• Indigenous Americans are more likely to develop intrahepatic bile duct cancer.

The Kaiser Family Foundation also provides in-depth research into some of the many disparities within healthcare among those of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Given her role as a pediatric nurse practitioner, Tiffany had already seen some of the various health disparities. Being a patient herself only further opened her eyes to the need for change and better outcomes for people of color. To begin, Tiffany founded the Orangeburg Myeloma Network Group in South Carolina to create more of a community, and offer more support, to those affected by multiple myeloma. Her goal is also to raise awareness of the symptoms on a greater scale to assist with earlier diagnosis and care. Tiffany has also written about her experiences within magazines and newspapers, been invited to speak at a number of conferences, published content in peer-reviewed journals, and spoken at conferences such as the Black Health Matters Kappa Health Summit.

Tiffany hopes to continue raising her voice and advocating for those affected by multiple myeloma and other cancers. She hopes that, through this advocacy, the healthcare system can enact better policies that ensure fair and just treatment.