Throughout her year of service, pageant contestant and former Miss North Carolina 2024 Carrie Everett touched countless lives across the state with her strength, grace and heart for others.
Shortly after crowning her successor this June, she flew home to visit family and began a different kind of journey she never saw coming.
“I visited my parents, and I started to experience intense bloating. It was every night. I couldn’t really sleep. Then I was experiencing a lot of coughing,” said Everett.
She went to a doctor’s visit at the end of July. After multiple visits to the doctor, she was initially told she had pneumonia. On July 2, scans found masses in her abdomen, a thickened stomach lining and enlarged lymph nodes. Blood work showed markers for cancer.
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“I was told initially that it wasn’t really anything severe, but then I went back a week later, because I just knew something wasn’t right,” Everett said in an interview from her parents’ Seattle, Wash., living room.
Within a few days, she started coughing up blood, was rushed to the hospital and was admitted. A biopsy was done, and she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive gastric cancer, metastatic signet ring cell carcinoma.
“Initially, it was a lot of fear,” Everett said
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“You never think that something like this could happen, especially at the age of 21, coming off of such an incredible year of serving the state of North Carolina.”
She and her mother spoke with ABC11 News virtually from their home in Auburn, Washington. Everett handed over the Miss North Carolina crown in June of this year.
One month later, she was on a journey she didn’t see coming.
“I knew my life was going to change,” she said after her July doctor’s visit where she knew something was wrong.
“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,” said Everett.
She was diagnosed with signet ring cell carcinoma, which is a rare and aggressive advanced form of cancer. After spending three weeks in the hospital, she had to regain her walking skills.
What is Signet Ring Carcinoma?
It is characterized by its distinctive appearance under a microscope, where the cancer cells resemble signet rings.
Causes:
The exact cause of SRCC is unknown, but it is believed to be related to factors such as:
Helicobacter pylori infection, Genetics, and Environmental exposures.
Symptoms:
Early symptoms of SRCC may be vague and nonspecific, including:
Abdominal pain, Indigestion, Nausea and vomiting, Weight loss, and Fatigue.
As the cancer progresses, symptoms may become more severe and include:
Jaundice, Ascites (fluid buildup in the abdomen), Difficulty swallowing, and Lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes).
Diagnosis:
SRCC is typically diagnosed through a combination of:
Physical exam
Imaging tests (e.g., endoscopy, CT scan, MRI)
Biopsy
Treatment:
Treatment for SRCC depends on the stage of the cancer and the patient’s overall health. Options may include:
Surgery: Removal of the affected organ or tissue
Chemotherapy: Systemic medications to kill cancer cells
Radiation therapy: High-energy rays to target and destroy cancer cells
Prognosis:
SRCC has a poor prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 30%. The survival rate is lower for patients with advanced-stage cancer or those who do not respond to treatment.
“I was hooked up to machines all the time and wasn’t able to breathe. I had to be on oxygen,” she said.
Her mother, Mary Everett, shared that the last few months have been difficult, but trusting in the Lord has helped.
“The bible says it is better to put your trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. The prognosis wasn’t good. We turn our attention to God,” said Mary Everett.
Even in Pain, She Looks to Help Others
Yet, even as she battles the disease and has her day-to-day struggles, Everett is still thinking of others.
“After this, I would like to raise funds for people with rare cancers and stand in the gap for them. This is happening for a reason, and God has allowed me to use my voice to give a voice to others,” said Everett.
Her GoFundMe website states that “she is now undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments. There have been many radical changes made to her lifestyle. We are now raising funds because her primary caregiver (our mother) will not be able to work adequate hours during this time. Medical treatment costs, food, travel, medication, and other living expenses have become a concern.”
If you would like to donate to help her along this journey with medical costs and other expenses, visit here.
