The sudden passing of popular beauty vlogger Jessica Pettway has rocked social media. On March 11, it was announced that the 36-year-old mother of two lost her battle with stage 3 cervical cancer. According to E! News, her sister Reyni Brown confirmed the sad news via an Instagram post shared on March 15.
“It’s my birthday today, and the only thing I could ever wish for is for God to bring you back on this earth,” Brown wrote. “I lost my beautiful big sister 2 days ago and my heart has never felt pain like this.”
She added that Pettway was “the most amazing, strong, confident” woman she had ever met and filled her life “with so much wisdom, prayed for me, and helped me become a better mother.”
Brown concluded her emotional post by saying that “life would never be the same” without her sister and signing off with, “I love you with all my heart.”
Pettway was open with her fans and shared a health update in July 2023 after she was diagnosed with cancer in February of that year. The news came after doctors misdiagnosed the influencer in 2022 and treated her for fibroids. An Instagram post from Pettway in August 2022 detailed her health struggles and how she ended up in the hospital needing a blood transfusion.
“I was so weak, I couldn’t stay awake. I would sleep all day. I couldn’t walk the stairs. Couldn’t take care of my kids. Couldn’t stand for long periods of time. Couldn’t even do simple things, like cleaning, cooking, drive,” she wrote at the time. “Not to mention, the medication I was on, made me feel like a literal zombie. My speech was slurred. My heart would race. It was terrible.”
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Nearly a year later, Pettway disclosed that she had received her accurate diagnosis.
“Being told I have cancer didn’t devastate me,” she said, according to E! News. “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.”
Pettway continued updating her YouTube channel throughout her battle, growing to over 225,000 subscribers. She was transparent with viewers about her health and how it affected her physical and mental well-being. She would tirelessly advocate for Black women to receive equal and adequate health care.
Coined as one of the “OG YouTube” creators, Pettway was revered for her ability to create relatable and relevant lifestyle and beauty content for Black women. She reviewed the latest fashion and makeup trends, documented road trips with her family and shared intimate stories like coping with losing a pregnancy.
Pettway leaves behind a husband and two young daughters.
