Services

Dawn’s professional accomplishments speak volumes about her dedication and impact, while her leadership and creativity serve as a testament to her character. She is paving the way for the next generation to be seen, heard and represented (in a brand-new way).

As an engaging and passionate communicator, Dawn is the epitome of a trusted leader. She is an eloquent speaker, delivering unique qualities such as confidence, vulnerability, charismatic storytelling, and introspection. Dawn has been featured on CTV News (Pauline Chan), Citytv News (Faiza Amin), The Toronto Star and Best Health Magazine, to name a few. Dawn has also sat on many panels, advisory boards and patient research committees. Dawn is one of four Co-creators and a key contributor to the Women’s College Hospital’s (WCH) Every Breast Counts Webpage, a specialized breast health resource hub designed for black women, by black women providing support from diagnosis to survivorship. Dawn thanks Dr. Aisha Lofters, Chair in Implementation Science at WCH for her vision and care on this project.

Dawn also provided invaluable consulting advice to The Olive Branch of Hope (TOBOH), an organization supporting newly diagnosed women. Barker spearheaded several beneficial partnerships and solidified key stakeholders. Dawn holds a special place in her advocacy work for Ms. Leila Nicholls-Springer, President and co-founder of TOBOH for her mentorship and leadership over the years. 

In her latest achievement, Barker held a seat as a Panel Member on the Working Group for the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (CTFPHC) as a Patient Partner. CTFPHC has never included Patient Partners in their Breast Cancer Screening Guideline update process before. Barker was the first to represent the voices of BIPOC women with lived experience and highlight the disparities and socio-economic barriers of Black Canadian women. She spoke up about the critical need for race-based data here in Canada and was determined to be the voice for all women of color. Dawn achieved a Certificate from McMaster University for International Guideline Training and Certification (INGUIDE) Program.

As a Community Collaborator, Dawn provides consulting services and assists organizations to pinpoint where the most need is to invest in additional money for research. Advocating for greater research for BIPOC women (specifically black women) and racially marginalized women in Canada is her wheelhouse. 

As a Community Collaborator Dawn offers the following:

• Advise, guidance and research topics to Government Institutions, organizations, NGOs and anyone seeking the betterment of society

• Assist with what research needs to be done

• Where the research is lacking

• How the research would benefit all Canadians

Public Speaking / Video Presentations

Public Speaking – available upon request (limited)

Video Presentations – preferred 

Specialty Services

Patient Navigation, Advocacy and Family Support (upon request only)

My Advocacy Support will also allow the focus to be on men and providing them with the tools to navigate how to support their family member dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis (spouse, daughter, family or friend).

Dawn has found that men can struggle to know and understand how to support their partners during a breast cancer diagnosis. Partners of people going through cancer require support and tools to help them navigate the challenges. This is often not provided by the healthcare system, peer or community support groups. Spouses are rarely given any support, often don’t know how to support their partner and feel very lost. Having been through this situation, Dawn is happy to offer some advice in this highly overlooked area. Contact her to discuss your situation.