Mataya Dade never expected to hear the words “you have cancer” at 30 years old. A lifelong dancer with a dual career in entertainment marketing, Mataya’s pre-diagnosis life was a life that she loved, despite hardship.
She trained at the prestigious Orange County School of the Arts, spending her days surrounded by privilege while facing the stark reality of financial difficulties at home. For a year, she and her mother lived in an extended-stay motel, working their way back up after the financial crash of 2008. It was always just the two of them, supporting each other through every challenge.
Dance remained Mataya’s guiding force as she became an adult. She pursued a professional career, splitting her time between Long Beach and Los Angeles, taking classes, auditioning, and slowly gaining traction.
But when COVID hit, the entertainment industry came to a standstill. Seeking stability, she pivoted to entertainment marketing, working on campaigns for major films and TV shows. It wasn’t her dream, but it was secure.
On August 16, 2023, Mataya’s world flipped upside down. It started with an ache in her left breast. When she felt a lump, she knew something was wrong.
With her primary care doctor not being readily available, she rushed to urgent care. However, the facility lacked the resources to evaluate her properly and suggested The Bedford Breast Center.
“That suggestion saved my life,” Mataya said.
She credits the team at Bedford Breast Center, particularly Dr. Leslie Memsic, for not only responding immediately, but saving her life on more than one occasion. At first, the team thought the lump might be a fluid-filled cyst, but a biopsy proved otherwise. When the physician assistant placed a hand on Mataya’s knee, she knew.
“I just started shaking right there,” she remembered.
She was soon diagnosed with Stage 3, triple-negative breast cancer—an aggressive form that disproportionately affects young Black women. Her tumor had a Ki-67 proliferation index of 76— “and anything above 20 is considered rapid growth,” she said. If she hadn’t caught it when she did, she might not have been here today.
Her fight began immediately. Mataya was suddenly forced to make life-altering decisions: whether to freeze her eggs if she wanted children, navigated insurance coverage, secured the best possible care, and reached out to her community for help.
Freezing embryos cost $20,000 — completely out of pocket. She had to start a GoFundMe, relying on the generosity of friends, family, and even strangers.
Her mother, Kari, and her boyfriend, Marcus, became her rocks, handling logistics and making calls when she was too overwhelmed to function. Her mother moved into their guest bedroom to care for her through chemo. Her body became a science experiment — her immune system was wrecked, her energy was gone, and she had to learn to let people help her.
“You never think your boyfriend and your mom will need to dress you at the same time! But everything was different,” Mataya said.
Mataya fought through chemo, a double mastectomy, and reconstructive surgery. And on March 12, 2024, she got the call — her cancer-free checkmark. She saved the voicemail from her doctor. It wasn’t the end of the journey, but it was a turning point.
Cancer had stripped away all the noise, all the meaningless distractions. She returned to work, briefly, taking a job at Disney’s Onyx Collective. But it didn’t take long to realize she hadn’t survived cancer just to pour her energy into corporate life.
In the middle of giving creative feedback on a minor marketing detail, she had a revelation: “This is stupid. I almost died, and I’m worried about an end card?” So, she walked away.
Now, she’s focused on everything that feels purposeful. She’s developed “You Survived! Now What?”— a podcast for young adult cancer survivors, co-survivors (friends and family of survivors) and anyone who has endured life-altering trauma.
“There’s a lack of resources for survivorship, especially for younger people. Most available support is clinical, impersonal, and geared toward an older audience,” she stated. Mataya intends to change that.
In conjunction with the podcast, she’s also launching The Thrive Fund, a nonprofit providing financial assistance to help people access higher standards of care.
“Many resources exist, but they aren’t always accessible. I was lucky—she found the right doctors, the right treatments, the right support. But not everyone does.”
Now, she’s embracing life in a way she never has before — prioritizing dance, family, friends, and experiences that make her feel truly alive. She refuses to pour energy into spaces where she’s replaceable.
She’s also proving to herself that she can manifest the life she wants. Last year, in the hospital, she told herself: “Next December, I want to be dancing for Mariah Carey.”
A few months later, she got a call for an audition. The choreographer? The same one from the Mariah Carey tour. She booked it and was dancing on TV with Mariah Carey.
“The universe wants to give you what you want,” she believes.
Now, Mataya is making history — by dedicating a career to honoring survivorship stories, celebrating resilience, and building a legacy that will outlive her. She survived. And now, she’s making sure others don’t just survive — but thrive.
To support Mataya in building her podcast and company, contact hello@yousurivednowwhat.com
