Florida TV Reporter Learns She Has Cancer After Viewer Spots Symptom On Air
A Florida news reporter revealed Thursday that she was diagnosed with cancer after one of her viewers drew her attention to a symptom she was unaware of.
In a Twitter post, WFLA-TV journalist Victoria Price said that as a journalist covering the “never-ending news cycle” of the coronavirus pandemic these past few months, she wasn’t thinking about her own health.
Then she received an email last month from a viewer of the Tampa-based station. The viewer noticed a lump on Price’s neck, which she said resembled one she’d had herself and which turned out to be cancer. In a copy of the viewer’s email that Price shared, the woman advised Price to get her thyroid checked.
“Turns out, mine is too,” Price wrote. “COVID created some diagnostic delays but I’ll finally be undergoing surgery this Monday to remove the tumor, my thyroid, and a couple of the nearby lymph nodes. Doctor says it’s spreading, but not too much, and we’re hopeful this will be my first and last procedure.”
A bit of ~personal news~ to share.
Turns out, I have cancer. And I owe it to one of our wonderful @WFLA viewers for bringing it to my attention.
I’ll be off work for a bit after tomorrow, but I’ll see y’all soon 🥰 pic.twitter.com/UMsoj2SjtM— victoria price (@WFLAVictoria) July 23, 2020
The lump that the viewer noticed, Price said in another tweet, was the result of a tumor in the middle of her thyroid pushing the glands up and out. She added that chemotherapy was not in the cards at this stage.
Hi! I agree, not the easiest to see. It’s not super obvious unless you know what to look for. This screenshot shows it a bit better. I’m still learning but doc explained that the tumor is in the middle of my thyroid, pushing the glands up and out, hence the subtle protrusion. pic.twitter.com/NFeoRVcUdz
— victoria price (@WFLAVictoria) July 24, 2020
“Had I never received that email, I never would have called my doctor. The cancer would have continued to spread. It’s a scary and humbling thought,” she added.
She said she would be forever thankful to the stranger who reached out to help.
“The world is a tough place these days. Don’t forget to take care of yourself,” she concluded. “Take care of each other.”
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.