About LaToya Bolds-Johnson
Meet LaToya Bolds-Johnson: a resilient breast cancer survivor, passionate advocate, and experienced healthcare provider. With a decade of clinical expertise as a licensed, board-certified physician assistant specializing in emergency medicine, LaToya's journey took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with Stage 3C Triple Negative Breast Cancer at the age of 36. Her personal experience fuels her commitment to addressing health disparities, advocating for awareness, and empowering women to prioritize their well-being.
My Story
LaToya Bolds-Johnson is a fierce breast cancer thriver, advocate, wife, mother,
and healthcare provider. She is a licensed, board-certified physician assistant with
a specialty certification in emergency medicine with a decade of clinical
experience. She is a proud graduate of Historically Black Universities. She
obtained her Bachelor of Health Sciences degree from Prairie View A&M
University and a graduate degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Howard
University. In July of 2021, she was diagnosed with Stage 3C Triple Negative
Breast Cancer at age 36.
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After being misdiagnosed as having a benign milk cyst after a recent
breastfeeding history, LaToya unequivocally knows what it feels like to be unseen
and ignored. The unfortunate health disparities disproportionately affecting Black
women’s health are deeply personal to her.
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LaToya is an advocacy champion. Her experience has led her to spread awareness
through social media, podcasts, news segments, medical conferences, blogging
for health journals, public speaking forums, and collaboration with non-profit
organizations such as Touch Black Breast Cancer Alliance, African Women’s
Cancer Awareness Association, Susan G. Komen, and the Tigerlily Foundation. She
has also formed her own non-profit organization, The Tatas 365, focusing on the
importance of screening high-risk African American women for breast cancer at
earlier ages. She is also a new co-host of a monthly support group of a “TNBC
TOUCH TALK” show through BlackDoctor.Org reaching up to 3million viewers.
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She is a fearless participant in a clinical trial. She hopes to achieve heightened
collaborative efforts and educate her community on the need to increase
participation among Black women in clinical research. It is important for her to
build a “medical trust fund” for her three young daughters. Her own personal
participation in clinical research is an effort to contribute to the science centered
around triple negative breast cancer for eradication of this deadly disease. LaToya
currently volunteers by lobbying on the U.S. & State Capitols to help pass into
legislation the SCREENS ACT which will allocate $65 million in funding to help
expand the National Cervical & Breast Cancer Early Detection Program for early
detection and increased access to care.
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Originally from New Orleans, LaToya now resides with her family in the Washington, DC, area.
Her inspiring journey as a breast cancer thriver, advocate, and healthcare provider reflects her unwavering dedication to improving the lives of Black women and promoting health equity.
