Comadre a Comadre, founded 10 years ago, is an organization on UNM campus that “helps empower the lives of Hispanic/Latina women and their loved ones through advocacy, education, information, resources and support about breast health and breast cancer.”
Born and raised in a small Texas town, Romero moved to New Mexico when she was 16 and has done various community work in Albuquerque. She received her certification as a navigator through the Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute, which teaches methods for more effective cancer screening and treatment.
Romero was nominated for the award by Dr. Anna Voltura of the UNM Cancer Center.
What was the basis for starting Comadre a Comadre?
“Comadre a Comadre didn’t exist when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. There wasn’t any program in Albuquerque like Comadre a Comadre for Hispanic women. When I became involved with the program, a group of ladies — survivors of breast cancer — came up with the idea that this is for Latina and Hispanic women using a communication that they could relate to. Because a lot of the Latina or Hispanic women with breast cancer, they encounter so many barriers, especially because of the culture.”
What tools are offered?
“Being a survivor who has been there, we prvide a lot of emotional support and some of our experience, things that we’ve been through, things that may have gone unsaid to our family members because we didn’t want to worry them. It has to do with Latina and Hispanic culture, where (women) actually are the caregivers. In our culture we are not supposed to get sick — we aren’t supposed to have cancer — because we are the caregivers. We also provide a lot of education and bring in professionals to educate our women, how to be healthier and pay attention to their health. We also help them with community resources and a little bit of funding that the foundation gives to them, by applying. We help get them situated: if they don’t have insurance, then we help them get financial assistance through UNM.”
What lessons or rewards have you taken from your work with Comadre a Comadre?
“The friendship that I have developed with our women. I still get a lot of texts asking about my day and on Christmas and holidays. Just knowing that they appreciate it, that’s one of the biggest rewards, the love and connection that we have made. Comadre a Comadre is “being related” in that we’re related through our diagnosis, that we have breast cancer. In that quality we become very good friends and we trust each other.”
How does it feel to be recognized with the Spirit of Hope Award for your contributions?
“It was an honor. Never in my life did I ever think that I would be nominated or even voted to receive the award. It was an honor to be recognized by the Nancy Floyd Haworth Foundation. I never in my life received any kind of honor like that in any field, in anything in my life. So it was a great, great honor.”
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What message would you give to survivors and those currently afflicted by breast cancer?
“Just stay positive and continue having faith, to continue doing prevention and checkups yearly, to pay attention to your body. Be an advocate for yourself: if you think something’s wrong, get a second opinion. That’s one of the things that we try to teach our ladies to empower them, to take charge of their health. Without our health, we wouldn’t be who we are. It has made me stronger, more positive about myself and able to continue having faith that things are going to be good for me as long as I take care of myself.”
What are your hopes for the future of Comadre a Comadre and the fight against breast cancer?
“We need more navigators, especially in our program. We have a lot of Hispanic women. We need more money, more grant money, to keep our program functioning. We have grown; we have improved tremendously and having some good people who want to give back to the community, to all the Hispanic and Latina women. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Dr. Elba Saavedra for encouraging me to continue what I’m doing, as a navigator, as a survivor. It’s just that she always used to tell me, ‘you can do it.’ She always encouraged me to go forward.”
Matthew Reisen is a staff reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
