Ashley Dedmon understands the life-or-death power of speaking up for your health. A BRCA2 previvor, former teen caregiver to both parents with cancer, and passionate health equity advocate, she transforms personal trauma into a powerful lesson on self-advocacy. In this candid and eye-opening conversation, Ashley reveals how systemic gaps in her mother’s cancer care—where providers failed to take family history or offer genetic testing—ignited her mission to empower patients.
She describes advocacy as her “God job,” a spiritual calling to dismantle healthcare disparities, and shares the three non-negotiable standards she demands from every doctor. Ashley also pulls back the curtain on her battles with insurance companies, including the exhausting process of securing four denial letters just to complete her post-mastectomy reconstruction—proof that persistence is often as crucial as any medical treatment.
Determined to break generational silences around health, Ashley authored The Big Discovery, a children’s book helping Black families discuss cancer when few resources reflected their experiences. She even includes her genetic test results in her will, ensuring her daughters inherit more than memories—they inherit knowledge that could save their lives.
This episode is essential for anyone who’s ever felt unheard by doctors, faces genetic testing decisions, or wants to turn their voice into an instrument of change. As Ashley puts it: “Your voice costs nothing, but its value? That’s immeasurable. I’ve used mine to argue with insurers, educate physicians, and protect my daughters. Silence isn’t an option when lives hang in the balance.”
Get Ashley’s book The Big Discovery
Non-adherence to guidelines for genetic testing in families with ovarian cancer shows racial bias
