Davis receives NMMC Cancer Care Breast Cancer Advocate Award

TUPELO, Mississippi—North Mississippi Medical Center Cancer Care has awarded Katina Davis the 2023 Breast Cancer Advocate Award.

Davis is the founding director of the Tupelo-based non-profit organization Wear it Well. The organization promotes healthier communities by offering makeovers for cancer survivors and those facing life-altering challenges, awareness events and educational programs.

“Katina has a heart for people in need,” said Alison Jones, RN, who serves as the breast cancer navigator with NMMC Cancer Care. “She works tirelessly to meet the needs of families in the area.”

For the past six years, Wear it Well has hosted an annual Pretty in Pink event to promote breast cancer awareness. The events have raised more than $120,000 since inception. The funds have been used to provide breast cancer screening, cancer care boxes for patients and overall support. The organization also hosts a monthly Sisters Circle support group for breast cancer survivors.

The Breast Cancer Advocate Award was founded by NMMC Cancer Care oncologists Julian Hill, MD, Andrew Kellum, MD, who retired earlier this year, and the late Charles Montgomery, MD, who died June 30.

In presenting the award, Dr. Hill said  “Katina is exactly the kind of person the award was designed to recognize. She is making a difference in the lives of breast cancer patients.”

In accepting the award, Davis said, “My cousin’s 20-year breast cancer journey has inspired my advocacy for survivors. So many breast cancer survivors suffer in silence. Through our Extreme Makeovers, it’s been so rewarding to see them glow with increased self-confidence, dignity and a newfound sense of hope. It’s a privilege to be a part of their journey. No one fights alone. That’s why we work so hard to raise the funds for our programs.”