A former cancer scientist turned sex worker now wants to use her content to fund breakthroughs in the disease she once researched.
Monalita, real name Mona Huygelen, is a 27-year-old Belgian adult content creator who charges subscribers just over £5 a month for her risqué photos and videos.
Before Mrs. Huygelen drastically changed her career, she was a biochemist.
She specifically researched liver cancer and the changes that can occur in the blood vessels in the organ when the disease occurs.
However, a tragedy in her personal life led her to reassess her career and she eventually turned to creating adult content.
She is now in a position to give back to her original area of research and, in line with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she is donating $100,000 (£77,000) of the proceeds from her explicit photos and videos to a cancer research charity.
“Since October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it would be the perfect time to come full circle and use my talents to fund an entire cancer research project,” she said.
In addition, the website where Ms Huygelen hosts her content, Fansly, has pledged to match the amount she has raised, meaning a total of $200,000 (£154,000) will be spent on cancer research.
Monalita, real name Mona Huygelen, is a 27-year-old Belgian adult content creator who charges subscribers just over £5 a month for her risqué photos and videos, but now wants to use her ‘talents’ to fund cancer research
The timing of the fundraising also has special significance for Ms. Huygelen, as had she stayed in science, she would have completed her research project.
“If I had continued with my PhD this year, October 2024 would have been the month I completed it,” she says.
She explained how losing her father, to the same disease she was researching, motivated her to reassess her priorities.
‘The loss of my father had a huge impact on me. It made me realize that I wanted to live my life to the fullest while I was still young and healthy,” she said.
‘I left academia and became an online fitness coach and content creator.
‘Gradually I started experimenting with some spicier videos and photos.’
Ms Huygelen, who has around 83,000 subscribers to her racy photos, said she was surprised she was again in a position to contribute to cancer research.
She has specifically decided to partner with US-based charity, the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
Before Monalita’s dramatic career change, she was a biochemist specifically researching liver cancer and the changes that can occur in the organ’s blood vessels when the disease occurs.
She is now in a position to give back to her original area of research and, in line with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she is donating $100,000 (£77,000) of the proceeds from her explicit photos and videos to a cancer research charity.
Ms Huygelen chose the charity because research into ways to prevent cancer from developing, as opposed to treating it after the disease has occurred, was underfunded.
She explained that the money she donates could go to projects with a variety of potential outcomes in cancer prevention.
“These may include tools for early cancer detection, the impact of food, certain nutrients and other lifestyle factors on your risk of developing cancer,” she said.
‘Or describing certain toxins that increase your risk of cancer, for example asbestos.’
Monalita added: “I know from my own experience as a scientist… that cancer prevention is vastly underfunded,” she said.
