Hidden Gems: Meet Chloe A. Mondesir of The Fibroids Agenda Fund

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe A. Mondesir

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Chloe A. Mondesir. I am a proud Queens, NY native. Spelman College brought me to Atlanta, but even more has kept me here since 2012. While growing through young adulthood in Atlanta, I also earned my masters at Mercer University, wrote a children’s book (Take Opportunity), started a small business (writing company), and have more recently started The Fibroids Agenda Fund (to financially support fibroids relief, advocacy, awareness, education, and community efforts), as well as the Clo Chats Podcast (so women who have navigated fibroids and the people who support them, can share their stories firsthand.) God continues to keep me motivated and encouraged to purpose my own testimonies, to create opportunities of service and impact for myself and others. Considering all the twists and turns of my life, my journey is typically easier to describe and digest in hindsight. As for living my life out, I’m simply trusting, and committed to staying surrendered and submitted to God.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I was 25 years old, after asking to be examined by my OBGYN at the time, I was diagnosed with fibroids. Although I knew that fibroids were something my mother had previously experienced also, I did not know what it would mean for me now. Afterall, everyone is different. Navigating the health care system to find quality care, as I suffered with fibroids, allowed me to become the patient that I had always advocated for, as a leader in the health equity/ non profit space. Educated with advanced degrees, being employed and an entrepreneur, residing in an affluent zip code, none of these considerations made a difference with my health care experiences; and that is when I truly began to understand the plight of institutionalized racism within the healthcare system. The facts are real, and they are jarring. 80% of women by age 50 will experience fibroids, majority of whom are Black/African descent. Black women, irrespective of the former mentioned considerations, are more likely to be recommended and receive hysterectomies, as a treatment plan for fibroids, than any other group. Black women, irrespective of the former mentioned considerations, are more likely to be unbelieved, dismissed, disregarded, and marginalized within their own medical experiences by doctors (a term known as, medical gaslighting.) As a result, Black women are also routinely the most misdiagnosed, late diagnosed, and most likely to die as a result of countless medically preventable diseases, treatments, and procedures, even giving birth.

As you know, we’re big fans of The Fibroids Agenda Fund. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
In January 2023, The Fibroids Agenda Fund (which I started after my own successful myomectomy procedure, November 2022), began to financially support fibroids treatment/care, advocacy, education, and community impact.

Given the reality, that women of childbearing ages are most likely to develop fibroids, (while some women produce fibroids during pregnancy that shrink naturally post-delivery), other women will undergo a variety of medical procedures to shrink and/or remove fibroids, and alleviate severe menstruation, in order to improve their likelihood of successful fertility.

The disproportionate impact of severe, symptomatic fibroids and fibroids treatment on Black women often translates into increased rates of Black women experiencing invasive fibroids removals, pelvic pain, pain during intercourse, tumultuous fertility, decreased mental health, debilitating menstruation, bloating, inconvenienced work and relationships, frequent urination, and even constipation.

Therefore, the elevation and expansion of The Fibroids Agenda Fund, and podcast, Clo Chats, is set apart, collectively demonstrating the benefit of solution-focused work— much of which was not previously seen.

In just 20 months, The Fibroids Agenda Fund has independently raised more than $5,000, thanks to the support of generous individual donors. The Fibroids Agenda Fund in just 20 months, has financially supported a fibroids practice, a faith-based fibroids awareness event, a holistic fibroids approach awareness event, a fibroids educational platform, a fibroids advocacy initiative, and a women’s conference led by the largest land-owning Black church in America.

What I want people to know is that there is no donation too small for God’s giving. There is no contribution too minimal, that won’t be appreciated by a woman who is impacted by fibroids. When women choose to undergo fibroids removal procedures, they have to undergo pre-surgical clearance filled with tests, labs, etc that cost. The surgery itself costs, even with private insurance. Post surgery supplies are necessary as well, and they cost. When people create learning opportunities such as awareness events, platforms, conferences, etc, it all has a cost. The production of my podcast to bringing human visibility to this medical plight costs.

There is presently no federal funding that supports fibroids relief, advocacy, awareness, education, treatment, prevention; so I am trying to support all the work that I can see needs to be done, from where I am, in these ways, with fundraising.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
When effort meets impact.

Pricing:

• The average removal procedure with or without private insurance is anywhere from $1,000 to more than $10,000.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.TheFibroidsAgendaFund.com
• Instagram: @thefibroidsagendafund
• Youtube: The Fibroids Agenda Fund
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fibroids-agenda-fund-presents-clo-chats/id1758403297