The cofounder of a St. Louis prostate cancer survivor’s advocacy organization is being remembered. Isadore Wayne, co-founder and director of Community Affairs & Outreach for The Empowerment Network, Inc. known as TEN, died Friday, May 15, 2015.
TEN is dedicated to awareness and education, testing, treatment and support for men with prostate cancer.
“Isadore was a soldier, a fighter and an advocate against prostate cancer,” said TEN cofounder Mellve Shahid. “His loss will be huge to the prostate cancer community in St. Louis. Today we grieve and tomorrow, we fight.”
Wayne and Shahid founded The Empowerment Network in 2008.
Since then, the group became nationally recognized for its work, which includes a weekly radio program, a prayer team and a cancer center located at 6000 West Florissant Ave. More than 300 African American and other men have benefitted from the brotherhood of support from fellow prostate cancer survivors. It is the one of the largest prostate cancer support groups in the urban community in the Midwest.
On April 30, The Empowerment Network received honors by the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Health Care as the 2015 Health Care Advocacy Organization of the Year.
“My dad lived a life filled with purpose; he didn’t stick around waiting for things to happen – he made things happen,” Wayne’s youngest son, Ishmael Wayne, said. “He showed leadership through his actions, wisdom through his advice and realness when it needed to be presented.”
Visitation for Isadore Wayne is at 10 a.m., Friday, May 22 at New Sunny Mount Missionary Baptist Church, 4700 West Florissant Ave., followed by the funeral at 11 a.m. Interment is at St. Peters Cemetery. Austin Layne Mortuary is handling the arrangements.
