Carie Everett made history as the first Liberian American and HBCU student to win the title of Miss North Caroline in 2024. And now, nearly two years later, communities are grieving the 22-year-old’s death after a long battle with signet ring cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive advanced form of cancer.
“We are heartbroken to share that last night, the beautiful nightingale, Helen Carrie Everett, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer,” her family wrote in a statement posted to her Instagram. “The cries of her heart became songs that stirred the spirits of everyone who had the pleasure of hearing her sing. She lived a full life and with her last words, on stage and in life, she proclaimed the goodness of God. Her impact on this world is undeniable, and we will carry on her legacy of advocacy and praise.”
After relinquishing her crown to the new Miss North Carolina in June 2025, Everett began experiencing bloating and a persistent cough, prompting doctors to diagnose her with pneumonia. However, as her symptoms worsened, further tests revealed masses in her pelvic area, ultimately leading to a cancer diagnosis.
“I was shocked. I was also very scared because you hear that word and think of all these stories. I knew my life was going to change,” Everett told ABC11 in September 2025. “I’m holding on to God, keeping the faith and attitude of worship and prayer because I believe I’m healed already in Jesus’ name.”
The 22-year-old pageant queen’s battle with cancer points to an alarming trend scientists have noticed in recent years. Researchers have noticed a troubling rise in cancers occurring at younger ages, often referred to as ‘early-onset’ cancers. The American Cancer Society reports that cancer rates in women under 50 are now 82% higher than their male counterparts, marking a 51% increase since 2002. Studies find that colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and kidney cancer are among the 10+ types of cancers increasingly impacting adults between the ages of 20 and 50.
“We know rates of several cancers are rising in young adults, including those outside of the gastrointestinal tract, such as breast and myeloma. Interestingly, though, rates of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) are rising in younger adults, compared to decreasing rates in older people,” said Dr. Andrea Cercek, a gastrointestinal oncologist and co-director of The Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center. “Many things in health are happening at younger ages than in years past.”
“This is serious and worrisome,” Shari Goldfarb, MD, breast oncologist and Director of MSK’s Young Women With Breast Cancer program, added. “Some of the risk factors for breast cancer are increasingly found in younger women.
Similarly, Dr. Shanthi Sivendran, the director of the Early Onset Cancer Program at Yale’s cancer center, told PBS News that 15% of the total cancer patients at Yale’s cancer center and Smilow Cancer Hospital were diagnosed with cancer at the age of 45 or under. Both Dr. Sivendran and Dr. Cercek hypothesize that environmental factors may be the cause of this shift; however, scientists have not been able to pinpoint one smoking gun for these changes.
With this in mind, medical professionals encourage everyone to not only be mindful of living a healthy lifestyle, but also to regularly go get screenings from their primary care providers, especially if there is a history of cancer in their families.
