Pink Power Steps Founder Tricia Griffith Shares Her Breast Cancer Journey: ‘I Want To Stay In The Fight’

Posted on October 24, 2024 - By Victoria Kim

Tricia Griffith is a breast cancer survivor, author, and advocate who found her purpose in uplifting other women facing a breast cancer diagnosis. From writing about her journey to founding Pink Power Steps, a breast cancer support organization, she continues to put in the work, empowering others and being a voice for her community.

The Bronx survivor and advocate overcame triple-negative breast cancer and is now living cancer-free — but the work hasn’t stopped. Tricia is on a mission to be a beacon for women battling breast cancer, by helping them navigate every part of the journey—from diagnosis to treatment and survivorship.

Tricia’s diagnosis came during a pivotal year.

2016 was a big year for Tricia. She celebrated her 40th birthday, traveled to Paris — life was good. The accomplished project management professional had much to look forward to, both personally and professionally. “And then came this diagnosis,” she told MadameNoire. “I was 40 years old and going for my first mammogram.”

Tricia was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive form of breast cancer that disproportionately impacts Black women. But despite existing racial disparities in breast cancer risk and diagnosis, experts like oncologist Dr. Kimberley Lee affirm that even advanced stage 4 metastatic breast cancer is treatable with chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and other treatment strategies.

She sought a well-rounded approach to healing.

Tricia underwent not one, but two surgeries due to the aggressive nature of TNBC, which tends to grow rapidly and carries a greater risk of returning after treatment, compared to other types of breast cancer. “I had two surgeries, four months of chemotherapy, and eight weeks of radiation,” she recalled.

After exploring second opinions about her treatment plan, Tricia chose to receive care out of state at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia. She resonated with the center’s integrated approach to healing. Alongside chemotherapy and radiation, CTCA provided supportive therapies to help manage side effects and enhance quality of life, including acupuncture and even manicures and massages. “They treated the whole body,” Tricia said. “I wanted other things to supplement my body because chemotherapy is very toxic.” (CTCA was acquired by City of Hope in 2022 and no longer operates in Philadelphia.)

Source: James Johnson Jr. / James Johnson Jr.

‘I was supported by my family, friends, and my sorority sisters.’

The hours-long drives between the Bronx and Philadelphia to receive treatment were far from easy. But Tricia was surrounded by a strong support network that stayed by her side every step of the way. “My brother drove me to my appointments, but it wasn’t just my brother, it was a car-full. I was like, where is everybody going?” she laughed.

Tricia’s family, friends, and AKA sorority sisters were all involved in her healing journey. “I didn’t have to reach too far,” she said. “They were right there already.”

Pink Power Steps and finding her power

As a breast cancer survivor, Tricia dedicated herself to supporting other women facing the same battle. “Support is everything. I know not everybody has it, but you don’t have to go into this alone. You can find support,” she said. “I do that work now, where I help others. I want to stay in the work and stay in the fight, because the cancer could come back. I try not to think about that, but it is really hard not to.”

Tricia founded Pink Power Steps, an outreach organization dedicated to supporting women of color ages 40 to 50 facing a breast cancer diagnosis. “The name came from finding your power,” she said. “We all feel powerless when you hear those words, that you have cancer. But there are so many things that you can do for yourself — and once you start helping yourself, you can help others.”

“My goal is to help women like me survive and thrive through their cancer journey no matter what stage they’re in, by providing curated resources, patient care advocacy, and connections to build a community of support, so they can thrive through their journey and achieve desired outcomes.”

As someone who experienced not only the physical, but the mental and emotional labor of navigating breast cancer, Tricia is able to offer meaningful insight — “Where do you start? Who do you talk to?” She authored a book to shed light on her journey, The Positive of My Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, to serve as a reminder that there is life during and after a breast cancer diagnosis. “It is one person’s story about how they navigated their journey,” she said. “The way I lived and I survived, I had to see the positive in things.”

Tricia is staying in the fight and embracing life on her own terms.

At the time of her interview with MadameNoire, Tricia was preparing for a trip to the nation’s capital with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), where she lobbied members of Congress for cancer research funding and policies to improve Americans’ quality of life such as expanding access to health care.

These days, it’s Tricia’s advocacy work that sparks joy. She also engages at the local level, serving on the community advisory board at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx where she is a voice for the people in her community. She also serves on the board of the New York City chapter of the Sisters Network survivorship group, which she helped establish.

Outside of work, the community advocate is making time for travel and being with her loved ones. She’s now embracing life on her own terms, discovering a different perspective on the other side of her diagnosis. “I wasn’t living my truth. I wasn’t speaking up. It’s about living authentically now, as opposed to living scared,” she said. “What I do know is if you try to fight and win every battle, you’re causing your body so much stress. We’re not built for that.”

Categories: Health