Vlogger Jessica Pettway Dies After Fibroids Misdiagnosis

There’s some sad news to share about a popular beauty vlogger. Jessica Pettway known for posting hair, beauty, and lifestyle content across social media died on March 11 after a battle with stage 3 cervical cancer. Her death comes after doctors told her for months that she was only suffering from fibroids.

Source: Instagram / @JessicaPettway

E! News reports that Pettway’s sister Reyni Brown first confirmed the news on social media.

“It’s my birthday today, and the only thing I could ever wish for is for God to bring you back on this earth,” Reyni wrote on March 15. “I lost my beautiful big sister 2 days ago and my heart has never felt pain like this.”

Jessica Pettway/ Source: Tibrina Hobson / Getty

She also called her older sister the “most amazing, strong, confident” woman she had ever met who filled her life “with so much wisdom, prayed for me, and helped me become a better mother.”

Jessica Pettway Publicly Revealed Her Cancer Diagnosis In July 2023, Said Doctors Misdiagnosed Her For Months

According to HelloBeautiful, Pettway’s followers first learned of her diagnosis in July 2023 via a post where she shared her harrowing story.

The wife and mom of two shared that in 2022 she had severe blood loss due to what she was told were fibroids. Her bleeding was so severe that she even recalled a time when her husband found her unresponsive.

“Well, on July 1st 2022 at 4am, my husband found me in the bathroom unresponsive and not breathing,” wrote Pettaway. “I had literally passed away. He called on Jesus to bring me back and I came back. I was rushed to the hospital, where they told me that the extreme blood loss was due to “fibroids.” My Gyno made it seem like it was so normal and common. I didn’t think much of it, however I was passing clots the size of a placenta, which was really alarming.”

The influencer went on to share that eventually the intense bleeding stopped but she experienced “labor-like pains” up until Dec of 2022 when the blood loss returned and “would not stop.” Eventually, a concerned doctor asked Pettway if she could “just look down there” and discovered a large mass blocking the vlogger’s cervix. A biopsy was done and her stage three cancer diagnosis was confirmed.

“I was misdiagnosed all this time,” wrote Pettyway. “I remember hearing that and immediately saying to myself, “I refuse to make an agreement with that diagnosis.”

She went on to say that she was leaning on faith to see her through even as the hospital “became her second home.”

“Being told I have cancer didn’t devastate me,” she added in the Instagram post. “It was the reaction of those close to me. I knew that God is my healer and that no weapon formed against me, not even cancer, would prosper. I knew that I am more than a conqueror and that I will get through this.”

[…]

“I lost weight, I felt weak and overall couldn’t understand why. Why me Lord? What did I do to deserve this? Laying in the bed in agonizing pain, I cried out to God to show me what to do. Because at times I felt like death would just be an easier option. But then God showed me that what I was going through had nothing to do with what I did. He showed me that I was not alone and that He knew exactly how I felt. But most importantly, He had already provided the healing that I was seeking. He said, “My Spirit is in you. Which means My power is in you. Rest in my promises and believe that you are already healed.”

In a follow-up post, Pettway detailed the effect her cancer diagnosis was having on her family including her husband Michael and daughters  Kailee, 10, and Zoi Lee, 3.

“I gotta say, this was the toughest storm I have ever been through,” wrote Pettway in August. “Yet we made a commitment that we would get through this together. My husband would carry me up the stairs, carry me to the bathroom, lift me out the tub. It was hard for him to see me in that state. And I was so embarrassed to have him see me in my new body. The weight loss just made me feel like a shell of myself. I didn’t want to be seen.

But we held on to our vows and the word. We moved forward and did our best not to allow current circumstances to overtake us. It was definitely not easy, but we made it this far! I no longer need assistance to do those things I needed help with before. Prayer works. Unconditional love goes a long way. This photo makes me smile, because I can see the individual happiness on each of our faces.”

Jessica Pettway was just 36-years-old.

BOSSIP is sending sincere thoughts and prayers to the Pettway family at this time.