Dr. Nia Imani Bailey: Transforming Grief Into Purpose Through Cancer Advocacy and Community Service
When Dr. Nia Imani Bailey's grandmother "Smiley" said she would carry cancer "with dignity, excellence and grace," she planted seeds that would grow into a movement spanning healthcare, advocacy, and community service across Philadelphia.
Dr. Nia Imani Bailey embodies what it means to turn personal loss into community healing. As a radiation therapist treating cancer patients daily, a documentary filmmaker giving voice to young women’s health struggles, and the founder of multiple nonprofits serving Philadelphia’s most vulnerable populations, she channels the memory of her beloved grandmother into work that saves lives and restores dignity.
Dr. Nia Imani Bailey is a 2025 Philadelphia Family Women of Influence Award Winner
Philadelphia Family’s Women of Influence Awards celebrate exceptional women making significant impacts in our community. Dr. Bailey was nominated by 2024 Women of Influence Award Winner and Founder of Habituelle, Jessi Sheridan, and selected based on her achievements and dedication to creating positive change in her community. Each Women of Influence Award Winner has committed to support Family Focus Media’s core values. Together, we are committed to foster a sense of belonging and empowerment for all for all families. All backgrounds, races, genders, and sexual orientations are welcome and safe with us.
Beyond the awards, our Women of Influence Luncheons and Speed Networking Night attendees come together as our Women of Influence Network, a community fostering connections, collaboration, and mutual support.
The Foundation of Purpose
“Smiley was my mom’s mom,” Dr. Bailey explains during our conversation. “She was one of 11 children and basically ran the household while my great-grandmother worked.” But it was Smiley’s response to her Multiple Myeloma diagnosis that left the deepest impression. “She said to us if God trusted her to carry cancer, she was going to do it with dignity, excellence and grace. That’s the type of person that she was.”
Those words became Dr. Bailey’s guiding light after Smiley’s passing on September 27, 2007. The woman who once walked through Philadelphia offering prayer, food, and shelter to anyone in need taught her granddaughter that “you never look down on anyone unless you’re extending a hand down to help them up.”
This lesson shapes everything Dr. Bailey does today, from her work as a radiation therapist to her advocacy for earlier cancer screenings and her hands-on service to Philadelphia’s homeless population.
Breaking Down Barriers in Healthcare
Dr. Bailey’s commitment to systemic change led her to pursue a Doctorate in Public Administration from West Chester University, completing her dissertation on “Federal Health Reform: Breast Cancer Outcomes” in December 2020. But this wasn’t just academic work—it was advocacy born from painful personal experience.
“The patients that I treat pretty much don’t have a family cancer history,” she explains. “It doesn’t make sense to me because genetic cancer only makes up 5 to 10% of cancers.” Her research challenges the age-based screening recommendations that she sees as harmful barriers to care.
The urgency of Dr. Bailey’s work is deeply personal, marked by the losses of dear friends like Tolu, who died at 30 from metastatic breast cancer, Sarah at 42, and Rasheena Phinisee, who passed on Dr. Bailey’s birthday in 2024. “The biggest barrier is always being told they’re too young for the diagnosis,” she says. “If there’s pediatric cancer, then a woman who’s 23 is not too young.”
Through her nonprofit, the Byrd Cancer Education and Advocacy Foundation, Dr. Bailey has directly supported women like a single mother of two who received food and financial services through their cancer connect program. “Life doesn’t stop” when you have cancer, she notes, and her organization helps carry the everyday burdens that compound medical challenges.
Giving Voice Through Film
Recognizing that “culturally we learn based off of conversation and based off of stories,” Dr. Bailey created, wrote, and directed “A Letter to My Sisters: A Breast Cancer Documentary for Young Women.” The film captures the experiences of young women whose concerns were dismissed or who were told they were “too young for cancer.”
The documentary’s impact lies in starting conversations. “People are saying, ‘Oh, well, you know, maybe I should have a gynecologist. Maybe I should make that appointment. Maybe I should know my family cancer history,'” Dr. Bailey shares. “It’s moving the needle of getting things done. We want to be proactive and not reactive.”
Restoring Dignity Through Service
Smiley’s influence shines brightest in Dr. Bailey’s work with Philadelphia’s homeless population through her nonprofit Agape – Finding Your Purpose, Incorporating Your Faith. Named for unconditional love, the organization serves the Logan Square area with a simple yet powerful mission.
“The biggest thing is they haven’t heard their name said in weeks or months,” Dr. Bailey explains. “So it’s saying their names, knowing their names, having a conversation with them, looking them eye to eye, just treating them like they’re humans because they are.”
This work directly mirrors her grandmother’s example. “She would see somebody who didn’t have a home, and she would offer them prayer and food and money and shelter. She never saw them as their circumstance. She saw them as human beings.”
The Professional Touch
In her daily work as a radiation therapist, Dr. Bailey brings the same humanity to patient care. “Our patients say the process is not scary,” she shares. “Having cancer is scary, but going through the radiation process itself—they imagined it would be much worse.” She makes it a point to know her patients’ grandchildren’s names and their best friend’s name, creating genuine connections during treatment periods that can last up to seven weeks.
“I want them to know that it’s not as scary as it may seem,” she says. “And everybody’s story is different.”
Drawing Strength from Legacy
When facing her own challenges, Dr. Bailey draws strength from the remarkable women in her family lineage. Her great-grandmother, an Afro-Cherokee woman who couldn’t vote but still marched and used her voice. Her grandmother, who traveled from South Carolina to Philadelphia during the Jim Crow era seeking better opportunities. Her mother, who grew up in the projects and became a two-time author, entrepreneur, and chef.
“I realize that I am their wildest dream, and that thought inspires me,” she reflects. This perspective shapes her message to other women: “You got this, sis! Your setback is not the end of your story—it’s just the end of a chapter.”
Balancing Purpose and Self-Care
When asked how she balances her demanding work as a radiation therapist with extensive advocacy and nonprofit work, Dr. Bailey’s answer is refreshingly honest: “What else would I do? All those things that I do, it gives me purpose.”
But she’s also learning the importance of what she calls “checking your temperature”—taking time for self-care and setting boundaries. “It’s okay as women to check our temperature. If I’m getting a million things done and I just want five minutes to myself, that’s okay.”
The Power of Voice
Dr. Bailey’s message to other women is both simple and profound: “Have your voice and know that you have a voice. Advocate for yourself—that goes for your health, that goes for community service, what’s going on in the world.” She reminds women that they stand on the shoulders of ancestors who fought for the right to be heard. “We are here for a reason. We are so purposed.”
Her call to action for the community is equally direct: “Feel your body and know your body. Very important. Know what your body feels like and looks like. Feel yourself in the shower, out the shower. If you are married, make sure your partner knows what your body feels like.”
A Legacy of Love in Action
Through her work with Smiley 91 LLC, Dr. Bailey has written children’s books like “Love Thy Neighbor” that teach values of compassion and community engagement. The company, named after Psalm 91—her grandmother’s favorite scripture—continues the legacy of spreading love and kindness to the next generation.
Dr. Bailey represents the transformative power of turning personal grief into community healing. Her multifaceted approach to service—spanning healthcare, advocacy, filmmaking, and direct community service—demonstrates that healing extends far beyond medical treatment.
“I am dedicated to saving lives, teaching kindness and respect, and spreading God’s Agape love,” she explains. “This is not just my work; it is my life’s mission.”
Dr. Bailey’s story serves as a powerful reminder that our greatest losses can become the foundation for our most meaningful contributions. Her grandmother’s voice continues to resonate through every life she touches, every barrier she breaks down, and every person she reminds that they matter.
“Remember, you are your ancestors’ wildest dreams,” she tells other women, “and future generations will draw strength from your journey. Because of you, lives will be saved, love will be shared, and meaningful change will be made.”
