Meet The Sisters Fighting Cancer With ‘Fight Through Flights’

Sisters Alicia and Esther Tambe are changing the lives of Black women in the United States with their non-profit organization Fight Through Flights. With this project, they are helping Black women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer travel the world with their loved ones while embarking on their healing journey, Travel Noire reports.

Breast cancer has decimated the Black community at a rapid rate for years, with Black women having a 40 percent higher chance of dying compared to white women, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. It also doesn’t begin and end with diagnosis and treatment, a reality that the Tambe sisters are all too familiar with after losing both their sister, Maria, and a cousin to the disease. “It really shook up our family,” they said.

“It also opened our eyes to this silent killer in our community. We didn’t realize just how much breast cancer impacted Black women.” Those suffering from breast cancer often have their way of life compromised, limiting their ability to live life to the fullest. This reality and their own personal experience is what prompted the Tambe sisters to establish Fight Through Flights. 

“Traveling the world helped us create our family memories together, but it also provided the support Maria needed after she was diagnosed with breast cancer,” the website reads.

“Travel has helped us cope, recharge, and simply treasure life as we know it. We hope these free retreats and travel experiences can help our Black sisters reclaim a piece of themselves that has been stripped away.” Since its inception in 2020, the program has successfully made an impact across 25 states and partnered with over 75 organizations and businesses around the world with no plans of slowing down. 

Fight Through Flights encompasses several programs, each one designed to assist Black women on the emotional journey. The “Self Care Series” provides wellness passes so that participants can destress and recover in peace. “Wellness is such a huge part of treatment,” they told Travel Noire. “Your mind and spirit have to be right to fight.” 

When they become too overwhelmed to deal with the stress of daily life, women can escape for one night with the “Room to Breath” program, which allows them to stay at a hotel of their choice for free. The third program, “A Family Affair: Leadership Retreat,” is an exclusive opportunity for Black women who are leading breast cancer organizations to mobilize and share existing ideas.  

“Road Trip Recovery” offers a two to three-day solo retreat at a hotel, cabin, or even home rental, as well as limited access to Black medical professionals, including registered dietitians, therapists, and personal trainers. Despite it being solo travel, however, attendees can choose to bring a companion or caregiver if they wish. Lastly, Fight Through Flights offers the “Staycation Serenity” package. If someone doesn’t want to leave the comfort of their own home, the luxuries can come to them. Participants are able to curate their own fine dining experience at home or choose to wind down with a paint session along with additional perks. 

Fight Through Flights is expanding as well. A new program called “Road Trip to Recovery 2.0” allows women to travel across the domestic United States in the organization’s 28-ft RV while they enjoy wellness and travel experiences. The Tambe sisters have taken this once-in-a-lifetime idea and transformed it into a life-changing experience.

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