Paulette Leaphart

Paulette Leaphart (born 1966) is an American woman who gained national attention through her self-advocacy as a breast cancer survivor and 1,000 mile walk for awareness.

Personal life

Leapheart was born on June 27, 1966. Her oldest daughter, Porsha Cummings, 31, said her mother welcomed girls who were no longer acceptable in the foster care system due to age. She ran a day care out of her home, and gave special rates to parents who couldn't afford care. According to Cummings, Leapheart even took in foster children and paid for their private education.

"Sometimes my mom gives so much she gets hurt," Cummings said. "Her intentions are always pure."

Following her double mastectomy, Leapheart's daughter posted a photo of her scars on Facebook. The photo went viral. It has been reported that by exposing her scars publicly, Leapheart inspired hundreds of cancer survivors and their family members to share their own stories.

It was because of this that Leapheart decided to walk from her home in Biloxi, Mississippi to the steps of Congress in Washington D.C. in order to raise awareness for breast cancer and for other women with cancer who cannot afford post-surgical treatment including reconstructive surgery. She reportedly spent a year in training, walking 30 miles a day: half in the morning and half in the evening. During her walk, Leapheart went without a shirt to draw attention to her double mastectomy, and at times had to explain her legal rights to be seen without a shirt in public.

Although Leapheart claimed that singer Beyoncé had agreed to walk with her: "she said I inspired her -- that she admired me. It was great to hear that. I asked her to join me for a block of the walk, and she offered to join me for a mile," the musical artist did not show. This did not bother Leapheart, who remained focused on her goal.

Leaphart was featured as a performer in the “Hope” interlude and “Freedom” section of Beyoncé's video album, ’’Lemonade’’. During the casting of which, she showed the trailer of a documentary which was being filmed “Scar Story” as she prepared for her journey, and later spoke about it with the artist.

In December 2016, Leapheart was given the “espnW Pegasus Award for Inspiration”. She attended the espnW Women + Sports Summit in California where poet and author, Nikky Finney, shared “Topless in America”, an original work that she wrote in Leapheart's honor. $32,185 was pledged at the close of the campaign. At the same time, a gofundme page was set up for those who wished to help Leapheart along the journey. Only $8,640 out of a $100,000 goal was raised.

The filmmakers spent several months preparing for the walk, and periodically checked in with Leapheart to make sure she was on track for the journey. She assured them that all was set. However, on the morning of the walk, the film crew met Leapheart, who promptly asked: “Which way should I go?”

The film was never finished.

Controversy

On March 31, 2017, investigative reporter for CNN News Jessica Ravitz published an article on Leapheart entitled: “The Naked Truth”. In it, several questions were raised about the veracity of certain key parts of Leaphart's story.

Despite the questions raised in the article, however, Ravitz also points out the overwhelming difference between African American women and other women regarding breast cancer in the United States; stating that black women have the lowest breast cancer survival rate of any ethnic or racial group. Furthermore, Leapheart discovered a widespread audience that shared in her message of hope and faith. “There’s no way to measure how much of a difference [Leapheart] made in shaping the conversation about cancer in this country,” she writes.