💖 “I Listened to My Body — and It Saved My Life”: Monyetta Shaw Opens Up About Beating Breast Cancer
Monyetta Shaw-Carter, reality star, author, and mother, is celebrating a victory she calls nothing short of a miracle: her breast cancer is now in remission.
In an emotional exclusive, the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum is opening up for the first time about her deeply personal battle with stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma, a diagnosis she received in December 2024.
“When I got that phone call from my doctor, everything around me just stopped,” Shaw-Carter recalls, her voice trembling. “My heart dropped. I was afraid. I was angry. I was just numb.”
The diagnosis came after Monyetta followed a gut instinct and pushed for further testing. That decision, she says now, may have saved her life.
“It was one of the scariest moments of my life,” she continues. “I was healthy. I had no family history. But something didn’t sit right, and I listened.”
That “something” led to biopsies, MRIs, and eventually, a treatment plan that included a lumpectomy and radiation therapy. At one point, she even considered a double mastectomy, determined to do whatever it took to be there for her children.
“I’m a mother first,” she says. “That was always at the front of my mind. I need to be here — not just now, but long into their future.”
After favorable genetic testing results and careful consideration with her medical team, Monyetta chose to undergo a lumpectomy, and thankfully, the cancer was caught early.
“Because I caught it early, I will be here for my kids,” she says, holding back tears. “There’s nothing more important than getting checked often and early to protect your future. Our health is irreplaceable.”
Now in remission, Monyetta is using her platform to encourage others — especially women — to take their health seriously and never ignore their instincts.
“Our bodies speak to us,” she shares. “And when they do, we have to listen. It can be a matter of life or death.”
She credits her care team for guiding her through some of the darkest days of her life.
“I can’t thank my exceptional doctors and nurses enough,” she says. “They are our heroes — the real MVPs. They treated me with compassion, with urgency, and with hope.”
Faith, she adds, also played a huge part in her healing.
“Praise God 🙏🏽🙏🏽,” she wrote in a recent post announcing her remission. “I know prayer carried me through this. The strength I found in my faith was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”
Though she’s now cancer-free, Monyetta says the journey changed her forever.
“I don’t take anything for granted now,” she says. “Not my breath, not my mornings, not my family, not my body. I treat each day as a blessing.”
By sharing her story, she hopes to empower others to take action and prioritize their well-being — before it’s too late.
“I want women — especially women of color — to know that this can happen to any of us. Early detection saved my life, and it can save yours too.”
