(CNN) – When Maria’s sister died of breast cancer in 2019, Alicia and Esther Tambe were determined to honor her in a way that truly encapsulated the person she was.
When they began researching, the couple quickly learned that there was a history of breast cancer in their family and that Black women were disproportionately affected by the disease. In fact, Black women have a 41% higher death rate from breast cancer than White women, according to the American Cancer Society.
The more they researched, the more committed they became to finding a way to help Black women living with breast cancer, as well as breast cancer survivors, while incorporating one of their late sister’s biggest passions – travel.
In August 2020, they co-founded Fight Through Flights, a non-profit that aims to empower and support the healing of Black women living with breast cancer and survivors of the disease, by providing free health retreats, travel experiences and access. resources on mental health, nutrition and fitness.
“We don’t know everything about breast cancer,” Alicia Tambe, a lawyer, as well as the founder of travel company Luxe A Travels, told CNN Travel. “But we know what makes Maria happy and the different ways she copes with different things.”
Supporting healing
Esther and Alicia Tambe in Lisbon, Portugal, with their sister Maria (far right), who died of breast cancer in 2019. On the same subject : The Department of Health shuts down Delta Clinic, 2 others.
Describing their sister as a “frequent flier,” Alicia and Esther Tambe say that being able to get on a plane and visit new destinations, as well as attend regular Zumba classes, plays a major part in keeping her spirits up.
The trio often traveled together over the years, visiting places in European countries, such as Portugal, and these remain some of Maria’s most precious memories.
“It’s something we love to do together and something we think we’ll do for the rest of our lives,” said Alicia Tambe.
Fight Through Flights was launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, so the couple had to be creative when designing their first retreat, as it was “not safe for everyone to go out together.”
They decided to focus on individual programs, creating Staycation Serenity, which provides people who may not be able to leave their homes or do not feel comfortable doing so with a vacation-style experience, and Roadtrip to Recovery, where women have the opportunity. to “take a drive or be driven somewhere close to home, but far enough to escape your day-to-day routine.”
The goal of the program, which comes with virtual therapy sessions, personal training and nutrition sessions, is to present a break from the daily stress of the disease and “an opportunity to heal and get away from it all.”
“We see it as a way to escape, a way to refresh and recharge,” said Esther Tambe, who is a registered dietitian.
“For those who traveled before the diagnosis of breast cancer, it is a reminder to continue to do the things that bring them joy, and for others it is a way to open the hope of happiness and new experiences in life during the diagnosis.”
Alicia and Esther Tambe said they made the early decision to include breast cancer survivors, so they could “feel celebrated” as well.
Bonding experience
“Sometimes you can’t celebrate your milestones,” said Alicia Tambe. To see also : To diversify Kansas politics, we must invest in young women. “You can go into survivorship, but you always live in ‘what if’ or ‘what if it comes back.’
“And I think it’s the hardest adjustment to get back to your normal routine. You are a new person, regardless. It’s just really important to learn your new self.”
It’s also a chance for survivors to tell their stories “and keep the information and hope flowing,” says Esther Tambe.
In 2021, breast cancer survivor Dr. Alexea Gaffney Adams attended Fight Through Flights’ Family Affair Leadership Retreat, open to Black women leaders of breast cancer organizations, in Belize.
Adams, who underwent a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy after her diagnosis in 2018, decided to apply after looking at the program online.
“I had a great plan in my personal life to start traveling more before I got sick,” he told CNN Travel. “And the pandemic immediately followed that, so travel was off the table for me.”
For Adams, the Belize trip was not only an opportunity to travel again, but an opportunity to connect with other Black women who have gone through or experienced similar experiences.
Esther and Alicia founded the non-profit organization Fight Through Flights in 2020.
“Once you have breast cancer, it feels like it affects everyone,” she says. “So, we talk about dating and relationships. Conversations that you can’t have with someone who hasn‘t experienced this.”
She explains that being able to take time for herself without feeling as if “it’s taking away from something else” is a huge gift.
“I can travel without guilt,” Adams added. “I can rest, recharge, restore and heal without being a burden on my family or household.”
When they’re not massaging, meditating, hiking, swimming with sharks, snorkeling and morning yoga, the group of women work together to come up with ideas for the Fight Through Flights retreat.
“It’s everything I need, and more,” she says. “So I’m grateful that I got to experience that and that I can continue this work with Fight Through Flights.”
Adams confirmed that her illness is ongoing — she is currently on hormone suppression therapy and also receives monthly injections to reduce the risk of relapse.
“People think that you’re done with chemo and radiation, and your hair has grown back that you’re done, and you’re not,” she says. “The battle has truly begun.”
Since returning from the Belize trip, she has kept in touch with the other women who participated, and is grateful to have been able to build such strong bonds with women with similar experiences.
More than 75 women have joined the Fight Through Flights program, which is all app-based, according to Alicia and Esther Tambe, who said they want to expand and add more programs to their list.
The program is primarily funded by donors, although Fight Through Flights has received grants from organizations such as the Black Travel Alliance.
Creating new memories
According to Esther and Alicia, the prospect of travel and adventure helped keep their sisters in good spirits. See the article : Dunn is proud of where Title IX took on women’s sports, he knows the fight is not going on.
“We’re just grateful, because this could happen to anyone,” said Alicia Tambe. “And just seeing how everyone has dealt with breast cancer in their lives has just been amazing.
“We just came out of our retreat and we all really got on with the brothers.”
Both said they’ve learned a lot from the people they’ve met in the organization, and being able to talk to these women about their experiences with breast cancer has helped them navigate the grieving process.
“We see a part of her [Maria] through many women – they share some of the same interests,” says Esther Tambe.
“And just being able to know that through it all, we can still connect and help others heal during their journey has been a very helpful experience.”
In the three years since Maria’s death, Alicia and Esther Tambe have continued to travel together, with other families, and recently visited Grenada and El Salvador.
While their dynamic is definitely different now, they hold their memories of their sister close, and are very grateful to be able to embark on new adventures and travel experiences together.
“We just appreciate the travel time,” said Alicia Tambe.”There are moments where you’re like, ‘If Maria was here, she would love this.’
“But I think it’s just about creating new memories, and seeing where life takes you.”
Top image: Courtesy of Alec Adam Tzul
