Mellve A. Shahid Sr. remembers the phone call he got in 2007 that changed his life. The doctor told him he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had reached “stage two.”
“He gave me two years to live if I didn’t get on top of this disease,” said Shahid, co-founder and CEO of the Empowerment Network. “On the operating table, I made a promise to almighty God that if He would restore my health, I would spend the rest of my life informing the community about a disease that’s claiming lives.”
On his “basement floor” in 2008, Shahid established the Empowerment Network with co-founder Isadore Wayne, he said. Now, the nationally recognized nonprofit has multiple arms to its advocacy outreach – including a cancer center located at 6000 West Florissant Ave., prayer team, award-winning radio show – and strong support from health institutions in the St. Louis area.
The organization’s support group has grown from two prostate cancers survivors to more than 300 – making it one of the largest prostate cancer support groups in the urban community in the Midwest.
On April 30, the Empowerment Network will receive the Health Care Advocacy Organization of the Year award at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 15th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac, 1335 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
Shahid said African-American men are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than other ethnic groups – and 2 ½ times more likely to die from the disease. The network aims to get black men, 35 and older, tested for the cancer and provides support, awareness, education and health resources to these men and their families.
Through the Save & Empower Our Men’s Church Tour, the group goes into the churches on Sunday mornings and tests men for prostate cancer. Over the last three years, more than 1,000 men have been tested for prostate cancer through the initiative – and 10,000 church members and attendees received awareness and education.
Through their Women’s Fighting Against Prostate Cancer initiative, women help out at the support group meetings. Robin Wright-Jones, executive director of the network, said she consistently speaks to women about encouraging the men in their lives to get tested.
“From our perspectives, we are always on a well-woman march,” she said, “and we want to encourage our men to do the same thing.”
The network has a team of presenters, called the Speakers Bureau, who participated in over 62 health fairs last year to provide information and education on the disease. The group produces its “Health Focus” weekly radio show on WGNU 920 AM, discussing health issues that affect the community – including high-blood pressure, sexually transmitted diseases, heart disease, as well as prostate cancer. And the TEN Media Team reaches out to people through Facebook and Twitter.
Odell Stukes Jr. is part of the group’s “Prayer Team,” which is comprised of prostate cancer survivors who visit patients in the hospital to pray with them and their families.
“When I get the call at 4 o’clock in the morning, I’m up,” Stukes said. “I’m ready to go, because I know there is someone out there that needs our help, that needs our prayers.”
They have prayed in every hospital in the St. Louis area for cancer patients and are now being recognized as chaplains in many of those hospitals.
Shahid said members of the staff and board have over 150 years combined experience in service at the community and academic levels.
Its partners include the Betty J. Kerr People’s Health Center; 100 Black Men of Saint Louis; The Call to Oneness; St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer; Better Family Life; Saint Louis City Department of Public Health; Family of the late 27th Ward Alderman Greg Carter Sr.; the Saint Louis University School of Public Health and Washington University’s Siteman Cancer Center.
Shahid said their advocacy teams and programs provided more than 20,000 St. Louisans with prostate cancer awareness and education in 2014.
When Shahid was diagnosed, he said, “prostate cancer was only a whisper in the community.” Through the organization’s work and the efforts of its partners, he said, “it has now become a household word.”
Tickets for the 15th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon on Thursday, April 30 at the Frontenac Hilton are $750 per table for VIP/Corporate seating and $50 each/$500 table for Individual seating. To order tickets, call 314-533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com.
