'Forever thankful': Viewer's eagle eye spots TV reporter's cancer growth

A TV reporter is counting her blessings after an eagle-eyed viewer alerted her to the fact she had a cancerous growth and suggested urgent medical attention. Photo / Victoria Price

A TV reporter is counting her blessings after an eagle-eyed viewer alerted her to the fact she had a cancerous growth and suggested urgent medical attention.

Florida reporter Victoria Price was in front of the TV cameras when a viewer spotted the alarming lump on her neck.

Concerned for Price's health, the viewer emailed in to warn the 28-year-old.

Now the WFLA reporter has publicly thanked the viewer for potentially saving her life.

A viewer emailed me last month," she wrote last week.

"She saw a lump on my neck. Said it reminded her of her own.

"Hers was cancer. Turns out, mine is too," she said, announcing she would be taking time off from work to fight it.

The lump had pushed her gland up and caused a "subtle protrusion".

Price says she had been working hard to cover the Covid-19 outbreak in Tampa, revealing the virus had distracted her from her own health.

She posted a photo of the lump around her neck, writing: "It's not the easiest to see. It's not super obvious unless you know what to look for. I'm still learning but doc explained that the tumour is in the middle of my thyroid, pushing the glands up and out."

Victoria Price posted an image of her neck, where a viewer spotted the lump. Photo / Twitter

"As a journalist, it's been full throttle since the pandemic began. Never-ending shifts in a never-ending news cycle.

"We were covering the most important health story in a century, but my own health was the farthest thing from my mind."

Doctors told her the tumour was spreading from the centre of her neck and would need to be surgically removed, along with her thyroid and some lymph nodes.

Price will have surgery next week.

View this post on Instagram

"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. 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. 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. 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. I will forever be thankful to the woman who went out of her way to email me, a total stranger. She had zero obligation to, but she did anyway. Talk about being on your side, huh? The world is a tough place these days. Don't forget to take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Love y'all and see you soon. VP 💕

A post shared by victoria price (@victoriapricetv) on Jul 23, 2020 at 4:32pm PDT

She has since said she doesn't know what her future would have held had the viewer not emailed in.

"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 posted.

"I will forever be thankful to the woman who went out of her way to email me, a total stranger. She had zero obligation to, but she did anyway. Talk about being on your side, huh?"

Price is expected to return to work within a week following surgery.