“Welcome to ‘My Ribbon Is Teal.’ It’s not by coincidence that you landed on my page. Thank you for being here. Cervical cancer decided to pay me a visit in August of 2016 and quickly realized it wasn’t a guest, so we would not make room for it in our home or lives. With much prayer, research and health care visits, my family and I are victorious! My name is Tarteskikar, but you may call me Tangy. My husband of 18 years and I have given life to four amazingly strong, athletic, patriotic, and spiritual sons. We are a strongly connected family who believe in the art of rescuing and assisting others.  I have been an advocate for healthcare since a teen. I currently manage a health care facility and realize the importance of screenings which assists with both prevention and detection. My family and I understand that our journeys are for us to conquer so that we can share our experiences to help others conquer theirs. Cervical cancer was yet another journey we needed to conquer. I must admit it was a scary journey, unlike any other journey we ever faced in life before, but we refused to be defeated. We all agreed to create a more positive atmosphere and refrain from associating with any negativity…especially knowing illness feeds off negativity. We are a pretty positive family, however, we knew it couldn’t hurt to add more positive energy in every aspect of our lives so we did. Though this was a rough season of our lives, we grew through it. It made us all much wiser and stronger. Even with the support of my immediate family and a few close friends I still felt as if I was suffering alone. I didn’t share my diagnosis on social media nor did I share with a host of friends. Only a few selected people knew and I requested that they not share with others. You may be doing the same and I want to let you know that it’s okay but I also want you to know that you can share with me. I understand because I’ve been there and got through it. You should not feel alone or embarrassed. You do not have to suffer in silence. We can hold hands and walk this path together and invite others to join us on this Mission to End Cervical Cancer. We will ROAR instead of whisper because we are VICTORIOUS! – Tarteskikar “Tangy” Boyd
2022 Cervical Health Awareness Month State Proclamation