Spotlight: Cervical Cancer Outreach Programs

The experiences of three women featured in Someone You Love now help others battling HPV and cervical cancer. Tamika Felder, who was diagnosed at age 25, and Christine Baze, diagnosed at age 31, each founded non-profit organizations to raise awareness about HPV and cervical cancer. While Kirk and Brenda Forbes, the parents of 23-year-old cervical cancer victim Kristen Forbes, started an organization in honor of their daughter.

• Tamika & Friends: Started by Tamika Felder after her personal experience with cervical cancer, Tamika & Friends has become a national voice in the fight against cervical cancer. They advocate for education, vaccination and screenings to prevent others from experiencing what they did, and they provide support for women in the midst of a diagnosis or treatment, such as chat groups, resources and financial support.
• The Yellow Umbrella Organization: Named for a song she wrote after her experience with cervical cancer, Christine Baze started the Yellow Umbrella Organization “to get people talking about something no one wanted to talk about — cervical health.” Baze uses her career as a musician to present benefit concerts and tours to educate and advocate for cervical health and the prevention of cervical cancer.
• Kristen Forbes EVE Foundation: Strives to educate women and men about HPV and its link to cervical as well as other cancers, and the ability to screen and vaccinate for prevention. Although Kristen died before filming for Someone You Love began, the movie told her story in retrospect through the words and home videos of her parents.