A Journey of Strength and Healing: Jamilla’s Fight Against Colon Cancer

Jamillah Sherman, a proud alumna of Wayne State University, has dedicated more than a decade to promoting an environment of inclusivity in the workplace. Beyond her professional life, she finds joy in cooking, traveling, and serving her community through her church’s outreach and child ministry programs.

Her faith and church community have played an integral role in her life and took special meaning during her teenage years when she battled leukemia.

“At age 14, I was pronounced dead after battling leukemia,” she says. “The woman who later became my pastor prayed for me at the hospital, and I believe a miracle happened—I came back to life.” Nearly 30 years later, Jamillah faced yet another life-threatening diagnosis.

Cancer diagnosis and job loss in one day

In 2023, Jamillah committed herself to a better work-life balance, enjoying concerts, dinners, and social time with friends. However, she began feeling persistently fatigued. “I went to the doctor, and tests revealed abnormal blood work, including extremely low iron levels,” she says. Further testing, including a CT scan, uncovered a mass in her colon.

The same day she was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer, Jamillah also lost her job due to company-wide workforce reductions.

Finding the right care at Henry Ford Health

Digesting the shocking news was not easy but Jamillah was determined to advocate for herself for the best next steps in her treatment. She decided to seek opinions for her treatment at Henry Ford Health and met with members of the colon cancer treatment team including Megumi Asai, M.D., colon and rectal surgeon and Ira Wollner, M.D., medical oncologist at Henry Ford Health.

“After meeting with Dr. Asai and Dr. Wollner, I instantly felt heard and confident that my treatment would be handled by a specialized team,” she says. “I was comforted knowing my case would be evaluated by a tumor board with a team of specialists to determine the best treatment plan for me.”

Part of the treatment recommendations included immunotherapy to shrink the tumor before colorectal surgery. Dr. Wollner explains he worked with Jamillah’s insurance company to cover the recommended treatment.

“While published studies exist for using immunotherapy before surgery in rectal cancer and colon cancer, and while there is mention of doing so in national guidelines, the evidence base is not as robust as it is for more advanced disease, leading insurance companies sometimes to deny coverage at the initial request,” he notes. “When this happens, the physician contacts the insurer to appeal and hopefully overturn the denial. We were successful for Jamillah, she tolerated the treatment well, and she had a very good response to treatment enabling Dr Asai to remove the remaining tumor,” he adds.

Dr. Asai explains although Jamillah’s cancer was staged as 2, it was a very large cancer arising from the right colon. Fortunately, Jamillah’s response to the immunotherapy made a positive impact in her surgical treatment.

“The immunotherapy treatment reduced the size of the cancer significantly,” says Dr. Asai. “We were able to preserve the uterus, left sided colon and most of the small bowel and bladder at the time of the surgery (she had partial resection of the bladder and small bowel). I was very pleased with the outcome of the surgery.”

On the road to recovery with faith, family, and expert care

With her health steadily improving, Jamillah looks forward to embracing life with renewed gratitude and purpose.

“Going through cancer twice has been incredibly difficult, but I’m regaining my strength and stamina,” she shares. “I’m beyond grateful for my prayer warriors, my family, my church, and the Henry Ford colon cancer team. They made me feel heard, empowered, and cared for every step of the way.”

For further information visit Colon Cancer Care at Henry Ford Health.