Anita T. Conner, of Abington, and her daughter, Kerri Conner Matchett, were diagnosed with breast cancer ten years apart, writes Sarah Gantz for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Today, they run Praise is the Cure nonprofit to raise awareness about the disease and to help make usually white-centered clinical trials more diverse and inclusive.

Rutgers researchers have made progress in diversifying trials through a remote experiment with COVID-19 treatments, which makes it possible for people to monitor their symptoms themselves and report them through online portals.

However other barriers remain.

Black patients are less likely to be offered trial options and also often have a distrust of medicine stemming from a history of medical experimentation on marginalized communities and racism in the field.

To overcome this distrust, medical professionals are turning to community ambassadors such as Conner and her daughter, who are currently involved in one such program at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

“There was no way I could go through all the treatment procedures my mom did,” Matchett recalled. “And the doctor said, “You won’t have to do any of that because of all the advancement.”

The pair visit local churches and share personal stories through their nonprofit to help people feel comfortable and ask them questions they may not wish to ask their doctors.

Read more about Praise is the Cure in The Philadelphia Inquirer.