TOUCH4LIFE LAUNCHES BOOK: Two Friends Unite to Serve Up Immune-Boosting Recipes During Black Family Cancer
Awareness Week
“Feed Your Fight” Delivers Culturally Inspired Recipes and Nutritional Guidance as a Strategy to
be As Healthy As Possible in the Fight Against Cancer
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 13, 2024—Nutritionist Sharon Hawks and breast cancer survivor
Laura Crandon unite to launch “Feed Your Fight: A Nutrition Guide with Recipes &
Testimonials from Thrivers,” a groundbreaking resource specifically tailored for Black women
facing breast cancer.
This powerful recipe book, released during the 4th Annual National Black Family Cancer
Awareness Week, is designed as a lifeline for Black women facing the challenges of breast
cancer, offering a treasure trove of immune-boosting recipes with a focus on enhancing the
health and wellness of Black women facing the realities of breast cancer. It acknowledges their
struggles and celebrates their indomitable spirit.
With a 41% higher mortality rate compared to white women due to later-stage diagnoses and
more aggressive cancers, “Feed Your Fight” aims to equip them with the tools they need to
prioritize their health and well-being.
“Nutrition plays a crucial role in the battle against breast cancer,” says Hawks, the book’s author
and CEO of the Nutrition and Diabetes Education Center. “We want to empower Black women
with the knowledge and recipes to fuel their bodies and their spirits.”
The inspiration behind the book, Crandon, is the founder of Touch4Life, a nonprofit organization
whose mission is to increase the breast health IQ of BIPOC and underserved communities. She
conceptualized the book after recognizing that more Black women under 50 experience a
mortality rate from triple-negative breast cancer three times higher than white women of the
same age group.
Crandon reflects on her personal fight against metastatic breast cancer, stating, “Navigating
breast cancer treatment is daunting; I know this firsthand. Our book aspires to be a source of
delicious recipes, encouragement, and community for Black women on this path. It’s the guide I
wished for when I was diagnosed, brought to life through our collective efforts.”
“Feed Your Fight” provides a rich collection of empowering counsel, wholesome recipes, and
moving stories from survivors, underscoring nutrition’s critical role in combating breast cancer. It
aims to galvanize Black women to assert control over their health, acknowledging the particular
obstacles and inequalities they encounter in breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival.
While focused on cancer prevention in Black women, the book extends its resources to men,
addressing the significant prostate cancer burden that affects an estimated 288,300 American
men in 2023 alone. Black men face the highest incidence of prostate cancer nationwide, with
rates 60% higher than those for white men, underscoring the book’s broader relevance and
urgency.
Ultimately, “Feed Your Fight” serves as an essential guide to wellness, intended for use both
during and after cancer treatment. It aims to be more than just a cookbook; it’s a roadmap to
thriving, offering insight for those fighting breast cancer and those embarking on recovery.
Hawks encapsulates the mission of the book: “With “Feed Your Fight,” we’re igniting a
movement of empowerment, resilience, and victory. We stand with Black women as they tackle
breast cancer, empowered by the transformative potential of nutrition.”
For more information or to purchase the book, please visit Amazon.
About the Author:
Sharon Hawks is a dedicated advocate for health and wellness, specializing in empowering
Black women in their fight against breast cancer. As a wellness coach and nutritionist, she
brings a wealth of firsthand experience and expertise to Feed Your Fight, making it an
indispensable resource for those navigating the complexities of breast cancer.
About Touch4Life:
Laura Crandon is a Stage IV breast cancer thriver and the founder of Touch4Life, a platform
dedicated to supporting women affected by breast cancer. The organization’s mission is to
increase the breast health IQ of BIPOC and underserved communities and eliminate disparities
in breast cancer outcomes. Laura’s personal journey has inspired her to share her experiences
and help others through their own battles. Her insights and testimonials in “Feed Your Fight”
provide valuable perspectives to women facing breast cancer.
Contact
Xina Eiland, xina@xinapr.com
X+PR
END

Team SAMBAI, a global team, led by Dr. Melissa Boneta Davis, Morehouse School of Medicine, includes Touch4Life. Touch4life and Founder, LauraCrandon are honored to be part of SAMBAI’s patient engagement ecosystem led by Ricki Fairley. CEO and Co-Founder of TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance.  Team SAMBAI has been selected by  Cancer Grand Challenes to receive up to $25m over five years to take on one of cancer’s toughest challenges. https://bit.ly/3uj7giH #BlackGenesMatter

Read an article in The New York Times featuring Touch4Life’s Founder and President Laura Crandon. Click here.

Watch Founder and President Laura Crandon on ABC7 here.

Featured in The Afro, A life of service. Read Founder’s journey with breast cancer and how she’s helping others here .

Listen to Touch4Life Founder and President on WTOP News. Click here.

Touch4Life Founder and President Laura Crandon is interviewed by Dr. Lisa Toppin on “Inputs to Action.” Click here.

Touch4Life President and Founder Laura Crandon joins other business leaders on Meet the Elite. Click here.

Read about how Touch4Life Founder and President was part of the first cohort of Silicon Valley Accelerator for Black-owned businesses. Click here.

Founder and President Laura Crandon participates in The Lancet Oncology’s National Cancer Institute Collaborative Workshop on Shaping the Landscape of Brain Metastases Research: challenges and recommended priorities. Click here. 

During the Wellness for the Rest of Us podcast, Founder and President Laura Crandon discussed the everyday inequities that exist in our health systems, globally and how knowing what to ask and who to ask for support can quite literally, save your life. Click here.

Hear from Touch4Life Founder and President Laura Crandon, as she discusses receiving a breast cancer diagnosis herself and beginning research on how this disease is affecting the BIPOC population and discovering some very unsettling facts. Click here.

Breast cancer survivor to launch ‘Black Genes Matter’ health movement. Click here.

In Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Maryland-Based Breast Health Equity Nonprofit Launches Black Genes Matter™ to Empower People of Color Through DNA. Click here.

Touch4Life Founder and President discusses on GoodRx how different skin colors can lead to different symptoms and therefore different diagnoses and results. Click here.

Listen to Touch4Life Founder and President Laura Crandon on MD Newsline’s Podcast promoting breast health equity.

Discover how biomarkers and genetics are revolutionizing personalized healthcare. Click here.

Read about Laura Crandon’s inspiring journey and Touch4Life’s mission in Johns Hopkins Breast Matters. Click here.