Jearlean Taylor
Jearlean Alston-Taylor was born and raised in Southwest Baltimore, MD. She grew up in a happy home. Her parents have six children. Could they imagine one of their twin daughters would develop a rare form of cancer (Rhabdomysarcoma) at two years old? Doctors thought she would not live beyond the age of three. Although her parents had a sick child that needed medical attention, their family's structure of love and care did not change. Her illness was discovered at University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore, MD. After several consultations with the doctors, her parents were advised to seek another opinion with other hospitals that specialized in Jearlean's type of cancer.
Her chemotherapy and radiation treatments began at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Because of this rare type of cancer, Jearlean's childhood included several reconstructive surgeries, lengthy hospital stays, and on-going medical circumstances. As a result of the cancer she was force to have two ostomy(bags) for the rest of her life. www.ostomy.org (Information about Ostomy)
Jearlean's life was an journey of unexpected challenges. She never imagined struggling with low self-esteem, shame, insecurity, and severe medical complications. Jearlean had insecurities that just did not change over night, but she learned to be a survivor. As a result of her struggles, journal writing would be the source of her internal healing. Pretty Girl Blues: An Autobiography is an intimate journey into Jearlean's life of being a survivor. Her obstacles have made her strong. The adversities that she has overcome allow her to inspire, encourage, uplift, understand, and spread her testimony abroad.
