With over a decade of experience in public health, particularly in breast cancer research, GaiBrealle Williams dedicated her career to advancing cancer care and knowledge. A devoted wife and mother of four from Raleigh, NC, her passion for health equity took on new meaning after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2020. Since then, she has become a strong advocate for ensuring equitable access to healthcare, regardless of background. Balancing her personal and professional life, Williams makes meaningful contributions to her community and the broader fight against cancer while championing support for those affected by the disease.

“It was surreal because you study outcomes, you see the data, especially when it comes to Black women, and then it happens to you. And this system as a whole, the health system, is dehumanizing. I was diagnosed in the midst of COVID-19, and I could not have any support. Nobody could come with me. I did chemo by myself. I did most of the appointments by myself,” Williams says. “I had to advocate for myself extra hard, and it's hard hearing doctors tell you that you don't need this or you'll be fine, or not answer your questions when you literally have the hard data that you've spent all these years collecting. You have to advocate for yourself because you know the truth about the outcomes for Black women. Black women are historically diagnosed with breast cancer at a later time than their white counterparts because of socioeconomic factors.”

Williams recalls the moment she discovered a lump on her own, prompting concerns about breast cancer and the challenges she faced in securing testing. “I was very lucky. My breast cancer was Stage 1A because I caught it early,” she tells BET. “But, to catch it early, I had to beg for a mammogram. I knew something was wrong. I had a mammogram in 2018 because I knew something was off, and they gave me one reluctantly, and they were like, ‘You're fine.’ Again, in 2020, when I felt the lump, I went to my primary care physician, and he told me not to worry about it. He told me it was normal breast changes because I had dense breasts. By God’s grace, I found a Black OB-GYN, Dr. Erika Clark, and I got in with her and said, ‘Dr. Clark, please, if you'll just give me a mammogram.’ She replied, ‘You don't have to beg me. We're not gonna do that.’ They found something strange The day she sent me to get the mammogram. They sent me to get a biopsy that same day, and I got diagnosed the next week.

The 40-year-old reveals that she might not be alive today without her Black OB-GYN. “I'd literally be dead. I'm not even joking. That's not me exaggerating. I have the data. I work in this field. The quicker you catch cancer, the more chance you have of fighting it. I was stage 1, but I was grade 3, so it was a fast-spreading, fast-moving cancer,” she continues.

She emphasizes that the most challenging aspect of her journey was not only battling cancer but also everything that accompanied it. “Facing systematic racism in the health system when I barely had the strength to advocate for myself was the hardest thing. What it put my family through… Both of my girls were teenagers coming into their teenage years. We were already going through a pandemic. There was so much already happening.” 

Reflecting on her journey through cancer, she shares her most profound self-discovery: “There is no old me. You fight to get back to the version of you before you were diagnosed, but she’s gone. You have to be okay with who the experience and God have turned you into.” She adds how the illness stripped her of everything, from her hair to her nails, forcing her to rebuild her sense of beauty and self. “You may not go back to the old you, but the new you will be even better than you ever imagined."

Although Williams became cancer-free after her last radiation treatment in August 2021, she emphasizes the importance of not suffering quietly. She points out that many Black women with breast cancer are often told to keep their struggles to themselves, which can rob others of the opportunity to gain awareness. Bre has made it her mission to be vocal about her experience, believing that her openness might encourage someone to get a mammogram or check themselves. She asserts that being secretive about personal battles may seem like an act of dignity, but it ultimately deprives others of vital support and information. Williams passionately advocates for Black women to prioritize their well-being, urging them to stop putting off health concerns. She highlights that ignoring one’s health can mean the difference between life and death, especially given the disparities within the medical system. “Stop the world to take care of yourself,” she insists, recognizing that when Black women are not well, it affects everyone around them. She underscores the tendency for Black women to prioritize the needs of others, often neglecting their health, and stresses that this mindset can lead to more advanced stages of diseases like breast cancer.