A cancer diagnosis is difficult enough without having to manage an influx of information related to treatment and support, which is why one Washington, D.C. resident took matters into her own hands to make the process easier.
“As a recent breast cancer survivor, I had a large support network, but it quickly became overwhelming. I was flooded with treatment advice, doctor recommendations and even playlists for treatment days—all coming from different channels like texts, emails and calls.
Keeping track of everything became nearly impossible, especially while managing my health,” Ayanna Smith says.
Last year, Smith created a free app, Journey Together, to help people in similar situations organize everything in one place. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, we caught up with Smith to see where her project is now.
From her cancer diagnosis in November 2022 to now, Smith has completed
radiation treatment (as of April 2023) and her app is now live.
“We’ve gained valuable insights into how people use the app,” she says. Along with coordinating medical support, users have most often used it to organize grief support and nonprofit parent engagement, with growing interest in using it for organizing volunteer support for the November presidential election.
Next for Smith is learning from feedback and making the app more functional and user-friendly, as well as helping others share resources through a global network.
journeytogetherapp.com
