Tarek El Moussa, the host of HGTV’s Flip or Flop, is currently in remission from thyroid cancer, as he told People Magazine in a new interview. But he might not have been so lucky if not for an eagle-eyed viewer who noticed something was wrong with El Moussa while watching the show. That viewer, Ryan Read, happened to be a nurse, and when she noticed a lump on El Moussa’s neck below his Adam’s apple, she searched for the direct email address for the production company to let them know that the host needed to see a doctor as soon as possible.
And not a moment too soon — after undergoing surgery to remove the lump, El Moussa was told he had thyroid cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes. He went into treatment immediately, thyroid radioactive iodine therapy, and is now in remission, but still recovering.
“There is always that chance of reoccurrence but every year that goes by the odds of reoccurrence goes down so it’s good,” he says. “I have slowed down quite a bit. Which is actually a good thing because I can actually relax now.”
El Moussa co-hosts Flip or Flop with his wife Christina, who had been struggling with fertility issues herself; she had miscarried right before her husband’s diagnosis. But now in addition to have a cleaner bill of health, they have a new baby son. It’s a very happy ending to a long period of struggling, and it’s great to read some good news for a change.
Source: Little Things, People
