A news reporter in Tampa Bay, Florida, may owe her life to one eagle-eyed viewer watching from home. On Thursday July 23, WFLA reporter Victoria Price shared that she had been diagnosed with cancer after a concerned viewer contacted her regarding a lump on her neck.
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
“A bit of ~personal news~ to share,” Victoria wrote on Twitter. “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.”
Price went on to reveal that she never would have contacted her doctor had the WFLA viewer not sent her an email—and shared the alarming message with her Twitter followers.
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“Hi, just saw your news report. What concerned me is the lump on your neck. Please have your thyroid checked. Reminds me of my neck. Mine turned out to be cancer. Take care of yourself,” the email read.
“‘8 on Your Side’ isn’t just a catchphrase at WFLA. It’s our cornerstone. But the roles recently reversed when I found a viewer on MY side, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” Victoria went on to write in a statement. As a journalist, it’s been full throttle since the pandemic began. Never-ending shifts in a never-ending news cycle.”
“Adjusting to remote workflows and in my case, taking on a new investigative role. We were covering the most important health story in a century, but my own health was the farthest thing from my mind. Until a viewer emailed me last month. She saw a lump on my neck. Said it reminded her of her own. Hers was cancer. Turns out, mine is too.”
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Victoria says she plans to undergo surgery on July 27.
“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.”
Victoria added in a response to a viewer that she had no idea what the signs were for thyroid cancer, and plans to use her platform to help educate others.
I encourage the questions! That’s what is frightening…I had no idea, because it’s not obvious unless you know what to look for. Hoping to use my platform to educate and advocate so zero offense taken.
— victoria price (@WFLAVictoria) July 24, 2020
“I encourage the questions! That’s what is frightening…I had no idea, because it’s not obvious unless you know what to look for. Hoping to use my platform to educate and advocate so zero offense taken.”
Get well soon, Victoria!