Beauty YouTuber Jessica Pettway dies of cancer at 36 after misdiagnosis

Beauty YouTuber Jessica Pettway has died aged 36 after a battle with stage 3 cervical cancer. 

E! News reports Pettway's sister Reyni Brown confirmed the news in an Instagram post. 

"I lost my beautiful big sister 2 days ago and my heart has never felt pain like this," Brown reportedly wrote under a photo of the two women.

"Life will never be the same without her crazy laugh, pranks, or jokes. Losing a sibling feels like a connection between us was destroyed. I love you with all my heart," she added.

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Known for her beauty, fashion and lifestyle content, Pettway amassed an online following of more than 350,000 followers.

She shared news of her health journey with her followers in August last year.

Pettway shared that she experienced "intense vaginal bleeding" and "extreme fatigue" in June 2022, but proceeded to dismiss it as a "'normal' symptom most women go through".

Throughout the rest of the year she experienced multiple episodes of ill health and several hospitalisations, but each time she was told not to worry and was treated for non-cancerous fibroids. 

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It wasn't until February last year that she received the cancer diagnosis. 

"When I woke up from the anesthesia (sic), [the oncologist] casually said, 'yep you have stage 3 cervical cancer'," Pettway wrote. 

"It turns out, it was not a fibroid, but cancer. I was misdiagnosed all this time".

In the post at the time, Pettway shared that she was doing much better. 

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"I gained my appetite back. I got up and out the bed. I gained my mobility," she wrote. 

In reply to a comment asking about the status of her treatment, she also shared that she had opted out of medical treatment at the time. 

She wrote that it was not the diagnosis but what it meant to those around her that affected her most. 

"Being told I have cancer didn't devastate me. It was the reaction of those close to me," she wrote. 

Pettway is survived by her husband and her two daughters, Kailee, 10, and Zoi Lee, three. 

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Since the news of her passing, fans took to Pettway's Instagram page to share their condolences. 

"I hate cancer so much, heartbroken for her family," one comment read. 

"Sending love and light your way!" read another.

According to Cancer Council Australia, "early detection and appropriate treatment can significantly improve cervical cancer survival".

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