Meet La’Voshea Hendry | Founder, Author, Advocate, Activist, Mentor, C.A.R.T, Minister

We had the good fortune of connecting with La’Voshea Hendry and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi La’Voshea, how does your business help the community?
Deon Strong, and Hope on Hospice are both roots that come from me not only being a member of No More Victims,Inc. but also later being able to be employed by them as well. It taught me to be conscious and cognitive of my moral compass to be a good human not just to myself but to the community in which I am apart of.

I eventually developed an early interest in learning how to become a survivor of immeasurable pain versus remaining a victim of circumstance, and pressure. After joining NMVI 2005 I realized that excelling was no longer enough, that i needed to make my existence count,

My journey has been defined as the meaning of survivorship. At the age of 15, I was diagnosed with several medical conditions; some of which the doctors deemed “treatable not curable”.

I have had the honor and privilege to participate and be featured, on both a statewide and national level. Prestige oppurtunities such as: channel Fox 26 “Houston with Damalia Keith in July 2012, New York Times “Out of Prison, back to Houston” in November 2007, and Change Makers Pilot by Black Celebrity Giving Inc. in January 2013. I also participated in the National Day of Remembrance 2016 at Houston’s City Hall where she had the opportunity to read the names of the victims lost in addition to being interviewed by KPRC Channel 2 and ABC 13. I was named the Houston Random Acts of Kindness Humanitarian Award Recipient of 2017, and the Social Good in Actions Honoree for Woman of Empowerment for the year 2018 and 2019. Isiah Carey Factory: Uncensored, and Houston Media Sources Demolishing Domestic Violence TV Show in January 2020. KPRC with Bill Barajas September 2021, December 221 with FOX Soul on the topic Helping Families Who Fight Sickle Cell, as well as Key Note speaking in December 2021 at the Walking With Purpose Fashion Show.

Currently, I spend my days with a intentional mission of adding a more defined meaning to the to the term “fighting the odds” daily. My diagnosis of Type II Von Willie Brands Disease, Type III Hemophilia, Tachycardia, Anemia, IBD, IBS, Sickle Cell SS, dealing with GI system that has lost total functionality and 79 other active diagnosis are only SOME of my daily trials. After having ileostomy surgery for on my descending bowel and having my complete large colon removed, my daily prayer has been that my physical ability can eventually match my mental and spiritual will and drive to be the testament of “bent not broken.”

On February 21st, 2019, I was placed on hospice for gastroparesis and malnutrition secondary to “dumping syndrome”.

On March 01st, 2019 I received congressional awards to commend my survival and acknowledge my strength in addition to a City Proclamation from Mayor Sylvester Turner to commemorate March 1st as “Deon Strong Day” in the City of Houston.
Following that in May 2019, State Representative Jarvis Johnson stood at the State Capitol and passed a bill in my honor to commemorate the fight, struggle, and survivorship of this journey.

In the past years I have been featured in the City of Houston’s Body Positivity Campaign, in addition to supporting and encouraging future humanitarians to leave their footprints along the path for future generations to come.

Through my transparency it allows me to continue my advocacy and activist work in the midst of all things me.

I have the honor of mentoring and guiding children who have Sickle Cell Disease, as well as any other blood disorders to make sure that have a easy transition from pediatric to adult health care without any fears.

My internal motivational stance is to advocate for not only children of incarcerated parents, and domestic violence survivors but for the population that makes up the hurting children and young adults of America. It is my hope to be the example and exhibit that because your parents are incarcerated or if you are facing a medical element that you don’t have to choose anything less than survival. You can choose daily to be the light in every dark situation that life tries to overwhelm and consume you with. You are your own validation, and you matter.

In commemoration of my daily fight I have created the “Deon Strong” and “Hope on Hospice” campaign to shed light on my ultimate goal in life which is to encourage others to not only be an advocate but an ambassador for change. Every day of my life has been a fight since the day I entered this world and DESPITE the odds I have WON, BEAT, CONQUERED, but most importantly I HAVE SURVIVED more stuff in one lifetime than some people only wish to overcome in a few. I have experienced and survived infant loss, domestic violence, parental incarceration, surgeries, paralysis, organ failure, divorce, homelessness, mental, verbal, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse and that is only to name a few. When you look at support provided for people who are in her position resources are very limited. You either have to be a pediatric patient or a geriatric patient to be supported on this journey through hospice. There is no support offered to people who unfortunately fall in the middle of those two categories.

I am a Certified Anger Resolution Therapist, and my continued testament throughout this journey has been to be known as the modern-day Harriet Tubman for millennials. I say often publicly “if I have to die, I’m going to do it my way and save as many as I can along the way”, and I boldly and firmly stand on that principal.

I am proud member of Sigma Alpha Pi since December 2016.

I am currently working on a conference designed to promote TOTAL wellness, health and healing. The panels at this conference will be named after the authentic pieces of the chess board under the concept “Life is like a gameboard, that represents the battlefield upon which the pieces (WE) fight on”.

The “Life Support Conference” design is made up to address all illnesses, both hidden and visible. Its structure is built on encouraging all persons regardless of age, ethnicity or background to operate in total health alignment. (Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and Emotional). It is also created to bring awareness that health challenges aren’t just physical but also environment induced as well. The“LSC” is inspired and named after myself after having been put on life support and being admitted into At-Home Hospice Care multiple times since February 2019.

It wasn’t until after I came home that I realized there was no support after life support, so I decided to create a lane for people whose survival story mirrored mines in a world where highways were already built and established. The conference is set to be produced in the year 2022
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My daily mission is to pioneer for humanity, Society has forgotten that people much like me existed and needed a pathway as well. In my most recent interview I was asked if I could tell the world one thing what would it be, and my response was simple by saying “Since you didn’t want to see me sitting at the table, now I’m going to stand up and make the WHOLE table not just see me but hear US”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Over a period of time, my best teacher has been life. It taught me how to be grounded and anchored while having the ability to move and change the world. Ms. Gambrell and No More Victims has taught “because you EXIST make you priceless, and you are absolutely precious”. Those are not just words, but the action behind them is what saved my life over 2 decades ago. I never felt like I was good enough, growing up never hearing the words “I love you” or being left out of Holidays and special events like birthdays taught me how not to just value the day but every second that is in it.

I am able to not just understand universally on issues such as: Parental Incarceration, Domestic Violence, Gun Violence Awareness, and Reform, Sickle Cell Awareness, Cancer Awareness, Homeless Services, Health Reform, Education Reform, and Criminal Justice Reform; just to name a few, but I also have the ability to connect to a variety of social issues and experiences because I have been through them personally. After being on both sides of of the issues Life Experiences were designed to perfect text book knowledge.

I am often asked what am I most proud or excited about. The answer is surprisingly nothing. In the position that the state of the world is in today proud is the last thing that I can feel when we still have people around the world who are suffering at such a great cost. My emotion is simply “Gratefulness” because IT COULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER WAY. I am grateful that I am in position despite my many challenges to use that which the doctor’s said would kill me to help give hope and life to others around the world. I am honored that I not only have the platform to share in transparency, but to make it look easy for the generation that is coming behind me so that they will never feel defeated, or like its too hard.

Most people have the testament that they walked into there in position, but that is not the case concerning me. It was definitely the opposite. It was posture that allowed me to stand and operate in this position. No it is not always easy, and moving forward I know that will be more of days both good and bad. I’ve learned to overcome challenges by learning from the challenge. I believe that my Destiny is bigger than ANY diagnosis.

My brand wasn’t designed for a specific population, but for all humanity.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Journey is not about me, but if you are a survivor of anything at all this shout is for you !

Website: www.DeonStrong.Com

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/LaVosheaDeon

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/HopeOnHospice