Totlyn Taylor Newby starts a Warr

THROUGH her medical mission Women Against Real Risk (WARR ), breast cancer survivor Totlyn Taylor Newby has taken the lead to empower young women in St Mary, the parish of her birth, on health issues ranging from self-care to breast cancer awareness.

Since 1999 Taylor Newby, who now lives in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States, has worked with a team of highly qualified doctors, pharmacists, orthopaedic specialists, gynaecologists, obstetricians and pediatricians to significantly impact the lives of many.

Her journey started when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the early 1990s. Speaking with friends and relatives she soon came face to face with the stigma attached to the disease that many saw as a shameful secret which should not be talked about. She was also taken aback by the general lack of knowledge about the topic.

“I asked myself, ‘What can I do to change this?’ ” she told All Woman.

She was encouraged by her long-time friend, the late Dr David Crawford, who advised her that the best way to make a change is through education.

This is why Taylor Newby has made a point of working with professionals who can provide the expertise and knowledge needed by the women she is determined to help. Every April the team visits communities such as Rock River, Windsor, Bromley, Islington and the all-girls educational institution they have adopted, Marymount High School.

For the last five years the mission has been headed by acting vice-president /medical mission chair Dr Yvonne Clarke. Born in Jamaica and raised in the United Kingdom, Dr Clarke had already made a name for herself and had years of experience under her belt when she joined the team.

Later, she was awarded the Totlyn Taylor Newby award in recognition of the work done as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society.

As Dr Clarke explained, during their St Mary visits they cover a wide spectrum of needs. This includes the distribution of condoms, providing toothpaste and toothbrushes for children, as well as offering prostate exams and providing referrals as needed. She said more than 300 community members benefit from each mission.

“A patient came to our clinic literally in tears as she had seen a doctor, and for her treatment it would have cost her $100,000. She started to cry and the doctor’s response was to stop the pity party as she came to us and we could refer her to something more affordable,” said Dr Clarke who added that many patients come back year after year.

“Many of these patients tell us they cannot afford to go to the doctor so they wait on us,” she said.

Knowing that their visits make a difference in so many lives encourages members of the mission to work even harder.