Tia Stokes on Turning Trials Into Opportunities

Life is full of twists and turns, and to make it to the next chapter, we must go through all the good and bad phases. But sometimes, it gets really tough, and staying upbeat and persisting through the hardships seems almost impossible. But as Tia Stokes reminds us through her remarkable story, it is possible to turn that obstacle into an opportunity and rewrite your story.

Tia Stokes is a dancer, mother, wife, and cancer survivor. Tia is the founder of Kalamity, a non-profit dance group dancing for a cause. For the last 15 years, the group (Kalamity) has raised over $1M through dance to help the less fortunate. Tia is also the owner of The Vault dance studio.

Tia uncovered her passion for dance at a young age. She found that she really enjoyed dancing to any song, and she began nurturing that passion. Tia has had the opportunity to dance professionally for NBA and NFL teams and back up for various artists, including Beyoncé, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Brandy, B2K, and many more.

Her creativity and great choreography skills have enabled her to break into the entertainment and digital space, with her work receiving a lot of attention. Tia has over 2.6M followers on TikTok, 673K on Instagram, and 96K subscribers on YouTube, where she shares her love for dance and documents her cancer journey.

On April 24, 2022, Tia was diagnosed with acute Myeloid Leukemia. Her life changed in just a few minutes, and she was stripped from her husband and kids for 31 days. The day Tia returned home from the hospital, her mother passed away. Her mother was her best friend and one of her strongest pillars, and her death took a huge toll on Tia’s mental and physical health. But she had to remain strong for her kids, husband, and fans who looked up to her.

She shares her recovery journey through her social media accounts to encourage and inspire others. Nobody knows what life has in store, Tia says. But whatever it is, it doesn’t have to stop you from living your life.

Even though it was challenging, Tia Stokes chooses happiness. She chose to have ‘happy cancer’ and is sharing this with other cancer fighters and survivors as she shows them that there is more than the diagnosis. Tia changed her perspective on life and realized these were opportunities for her to grow closer to her Heavenly Father and personal development.

Tia has grown her brand and created more opportunities. As she continues to flourish, she hopes to create more memories with her family as she shares her light with the world. Tia says her dream is to one day start her own talk show where she will give others a voice to share their stories. By sharing her journey, she also hopes to inspire and empower others by showing them that they have the power to choose what their life will look like.

“Each day is a gift. My dad used to say, Yesterday was history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why they call it the present! And it’s so true; you never know what the next day, minute, or hour holds, so cherish every moment! Be kinder! Smile more! Love always! Spread goodness!” Tia says.