my FAITH for strength. Matthew 17:20 “Faith of a Mustard Seed” It is not easy to have the FAITH of a mustard seed, especially when progressions happen. I just had a recent progression this month where I have a pathological fracture in my neck and shoulder. I had to activate my FAITH and lean on GOD to get through this chapter. I will have to have radiation for a week so right now not only am I preparing for this movie, but also preparing for radiation and a new chemo change. I will continue to praise GOD despite of.
Can you discuss your experience working on this project and collaborating with the team to bring your story to the screen?
I want viewers to keep an open mind about the movie. Of course, some scenes are dramatized because guess what it’s BET. Demetria McKinney plays me, and she sings. I can’t sing at all. I’m not going to give away other scenes but look and absorb the message and ask yourself what did I learn and what can I do better for my health and well-being? You might look and say well that’s not right or this wasn’t right. Overlooking all that what was the message of the movie and how will it impact your life and your interaction with your doctors. Charmin Lee is the director, and she is phenomenal. I went for a day in Atlanta for filming and everyone was so nice and gave me space to absorb everything – even to cry and hold dear the movie to my heart. It was an emotional day because I was literally seeing parts of my life played out on a set. Michael Beach plays my dad and that was emotional seeing that. I lost my dad in January 2022 and my dad was literally there for me from the beginning of my diagnosis until his passing.
I often laugh because if I told my story just straight forward it would probably be boring because I had the right medical team and everything just lined up. But not many Black women have that and face racial disparities and biases when it comes to their care. I wanted viewers to see that aspect as well while also speaking for women who have had those bad experiences.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. How do you hope this movie will contribute to raising awareness and supporting individuals and families dealing with breast cancer?
I call October Breast Cancer Action/Awareness Month. I live this disease every single day of my life and have been living it for 13 years. December 2, 2024, will be 14 years of living with this disease. I want more money for research, I want more lives saved, I want my friends to live longer and I want my daughter to never have to worry about hearing those words. Hearing the words “You have breast cancer” is so powerful and overwhelming and when I heard them it felt like a gut punch. I hope that viewers will go back to their communities and ask the hard questions and know the statistics of breast cancer in their pertinent communities. I want women to ask the hard questions to their doctors about breast cancer. I want women to know what having dense breasts means because I had dense breasts. I just want my story to give hope and so much LOVE. I want viewers to feel the love that I was vulnerable enough to share my story but also help GOD save lives. I’m just his LOUD mouthpiece. I will do whatever I can to help my community and get the necessary resources into the Black community to end the statistics of the high mortality rate of 42%. It’s been 13 years and that statistic hasn’t changed.
What advice would you give to others going through a similar health battle, based on your own experiences and the themes in the movie?
My advice would be to breathe and to know there is HOPE. For me living with MBC, HOPE is all I have and it’s a marvelous thing to have that. HOPE is what gets me up in the morning and prepares me for the days ahead, especially treatment days. There is no right or wrong way to fight breast cancer. We must do what we can with the information we have. If you feel uncomfortable about something, always seek to have a second opinion. Ask your doctor about clinical trials. Keep a journal and please know what type of breast cancer you have. Also, you are not alone. We are in this to WIN it.
My motto about this movie is “When one wins we all win.”
“God’s Grace, The Sheila Johnson Story” begins streaming October 19 on BET+