Remembering Sarita Joy Jordan

Sarita at MBCN’s 2015 Conference in Boston

We are sorry to share our friend and fellow advocate Sarita Joy Jordan died this past weekend. Our sincere condolences to Sarita’s family and friends.

I met Sarita shortly after her 2013 metastatic diagnosis. We were at the YSC conference in Orlando and she had just participated in the Disney Princess 5K. Her first thought was for her children–I think that was always her outlook–her children came first.

I often told Sarita that she was so well named–“Joy” was her middle name and she truly exuded it. Sarita brought joy to so many people. If they were having a bad day, they could count on her Facebook posts to raise their spirits. They were often just a cute picture, sometime selfies of her morning drive with “Mini Me” as she sometimes called her youngest son. Sarita was very proud of her kids’ athletic, artistic, musical and scholastic achievements–we loved to share in this pride when she posted their latest accomplishments.

Sarita’s ever present smile was her trademark. She was among the most open and giving people I have ever met. Sarita gracefully dealt with insurance and other issues that would have made most of us swear, cry or just rant. That was not her way. She just deal with things–and she had faith things would ultimately be resolved.

Faith was so very important to Sarita. A lot of people don’t live their faith–Sarita really did–she embodied The Golden Rule. She touched so many lives–and by her own example surely inspired others to love their neighbor, too.

I don’t think Sarita ever hesitated to try something new. A few years ago, she was urging me to sign up for “Casting for Recovery.” Although I am a country mouse, the idea of putting on hip waders and standing in some body of water trying to catch a salmon or trout with a fly fishing rod was not in my comfort zone and I said so. Sarita, the Philly girl, didn’t hesitate at all. Even after she hooked her eye with first ever cast, her enjoyment wasn’t diminished one bit.

Last fall she posted a video of another adventure–this one was First Ascents, I believe. The trip involved  not only kayaking but sitting in the kayak on a bridge about 10 or 12 feet above the water and launching the kayak–essentially jumping into yet another body of water but while wearing a kayak. I can still remember the cheers in that video after Sarita successfully completed the challenge–maybe none louder than hers.

Mary Hernandez and Sarita shooting the MBC Alliance video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqUS582jkfg

Sarita was a tireless advocate. She worked with the American Cancer Society, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance, Young Survivor Network and I am sure many others. A few months ago, despite all that was going on with her health, she even served as a DOD reviewer.

For an LBBC blog post, Sarita reflected on why she told her story: “I choose to share my story so that others don’t feel they are alone. I tell my story because I am an African-American and my community needs to be able to relate to the messenger…I  tell my story because I’ve learned that little money is spent on research for metastatic breast cancer and I’m running out of time to have my voice heard. This is why I am so grateful to be a Hear My Voice Outreach Volunteer with LBBC: to participate in community events and advocacy for metastatic disease. I tell my story for those that are no longer able to tell theirs.”

Last year I wanted to make a video about racial disparities in breast cancer. Many of the people featured in the video were Sarita’s friends. I am indescribably sad that she has now joined those friends.

But I will take my cue from Sarita–I will tell my story–and others. And I will embrace the words Sarita used in her Facebook profile: Educate, educate, educate!

Sarita’s legacy is everywhere–in her children, in the many, many lives she touched, in the countless advocacy projects she did. It was truly an honor and a blessing to have known Sarita. I miss her already and I always will.

—Katherine O’Brien, June 2016