When Khaleelah I. L. Harris reached the point in her life where she had to secure her own insurance, she was met with a stark realization. The cost of reproductive health services, including the myomectomy she needed to remove her painful fibroids, was far beyond what she had imagined. The surgery would require thousands of dollars out of pocket, and the treatments leading up to it also racked up hundreds in expenses.
Harris, a visual art curator and entrepreneur, was eventually able to find a good insurance plan that covered her medical needs. However, she couldn’t stop thinking about the countless women and individuals with uteruses who weren’t as fortunate.
“I kept wondering, what are people who can’t afford insurance doing?” Harris shared in an interview with Essence. “How are they managing to pay for treatment when fibroids are so common, especially in our community?”
Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that typically grow in or around the uterus and disproportionately affect Black women. The symptoms, which include excessive bleeding, severe pain, and distended abdomens that can resemble pregnancy, are often debilitating. For many, surgery is the best solution, often coupled with treatments to shrink the tumors. Yet, these options are incredibly expensive.
Harris recalls the weight of financial stress as her surgery date approached. “When I finally got close to my first surgery, the bill was $10,000 out of pocket.”
Determined to help others facing similar struggles, Harris joined forces with Yasmine Griffiths, a close friend and fourth-year medical student at Howard University. Together, they founded The Beauty of Our Wellness, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. The organization is dedicated to addressing the financial and emotional challenges Black women encounter while battling uterine fibroids. Their mission is simple yet impactful: to provide financial assistance to those burdened by the medical costs of fibroid treatment.
“In medical school, we learned about fibroids,” Griffiths told Essence, “but seeing a close friend go through it made the issue feel so much more urgent.”
Through The Beauty of Our Wellness, Harris and Griffiths are making a tangible difference. They offer $500 micro-grants to help offset the cost of fibroid-related treatments. Though their long-term goal is to expand reproductive health support on a larger scale, their current focus is providing immediate relief to those most in need.
Harris knows the toll fibroids take on a person’s life all too well. One of her largest fibroids grew to 5 x 7 x 7 inches, roughly the size of a small peach. “Managing fibroids on top of the everyday responsibilities of life is overwhelming for anyone,” she said.
Recently, The Beauty of Our Wellness hosted an Awareness Luncheon & Fundraiser to bring attention to the issue. The event featured presentations from Black women OBGYNs, fine art from the Wright Family Collection, and testimonies from women who had undergone myomectomies. The goal was to raise awareness, create space for continued conversations, and offer support to those facing the high costs of fibroid care.
“This feels like a calling,” Griffiths explained. “We need to not only start conversations but ensure they continue. By coming together as a community, we can create the support network that so many women need and deserve.”
In a society where uterine fibroids affect a disproportionate number of Black women, Harris and Griffiths are taking significant steps to bridge the gap in healthcare access. Their work, grounded in personal experience and community support, is a lifeline for those facing the debilitating effects of fibroids. Through their efforts, they hope to provide healing, both physically and financially, to countless women in need.