A TV host shares the remarkable story of how a viewer’s concern led to the discovery of his stage 3 cancer.
Tarek El Moussa, known for his roles in several home renovation shows, opened up about a life-saving email he received from an observant fan. The revelation came during an interview with real estate CEO and YouTuber, Leo Pareja, as El Moussa detailed the events from 2013 that unveiled his cancer diagnosis.
He recounted: “A fan’s email saved my life. Heading into season 2 of Flip or Flop, I was notified by my production company about an unsettling email they received from the network.”
The presenter, who discovered he had both thyroid and testicular cancer in 2013, credits a viewer for his survival.
“The message read, ‘I’m a registered nurse from Texas. I noticed there’s a lump on Tarek’s neck. This is not a joke. He needs to get it checked out,” El Moussa shared.
Despite having already consulted a physician who dismissed the lump with a prescription for ‘nose spray and allergy medicine’, he decided to get a second opinion due to the fan’s concerns.
This decision led him to seek assistance from another doctor, who recommended further investigation.
He explained: “They conducted a biopsy. The results were atypical, indicating it could potentially be cancerous.
“I underwent exploratory surgery to determine what was happening internally.
“I awoke five hours later to find my entire family surrounding me, in tears.”
Unfortunately, the surgery confirmed stage 3 thyroid cancer, which had metastasized to his lymph nodes, necessitating another surgery to remove them.
Following this experience, El Moussa decided to undergo additional tests to ensure his overall health, which led to the discovery of his second diagnosis.
An earlier exam had detected an ‘irregular testicle’, prompting him to consult his thyroid doctor about it.
Fortunately, there was an immediate ultrasound appointment available, allowing El Moussa to have a scan that day.
Within twenty minutes, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
“At age 31, with two cancer diagnoses, I feared for my life. I was a young father,” El Moussa shared, mentioning his daughter, Taylor, who was born in 2010.
Thankfully, El Moussa eventually went into remission and has since had two more children: a son named Brayden with his ex-wife Christina Hall, and another child, Tristan, born in 2023 with Selling Sunset star Heather Rae Young.