Tarek El Moussa has shared the email he received from a fan who noticed a cancerous lump on his neck - and may have helped save his life.
The star of Flip or Flop was shortly after diagnosed with stage III thyroid cancer, and later testicular cancer as well.
El Moussa, 37, recounted the story in a clip for the digital video series Chasing the Cure Presents: Saved By a Stranger, a run-up to the new medical series with a similar name, Chasing the Cure.
In the clip, which was shared exclusively with People, El Moussa said he received the message from a nurse in 2013 during season 2 of the HGTV show he hosts with his now ex-wife Christina.
He reads the email aloud: 'This is not a joke. I am a registered nurse. I've been watching Flip or Flop. I noticed that Tarek, the host, has a large nodule on his thyroid and he needs to have it checked out.'
El Moussa is now cancer-free and says he hopes that sharing his story will encourage others to be proactive about their health.
HGTV star Tarek El Moussa, 37 (left and right), shared the story of receiving an email from a fan in 2013 that spotted a lump on his neck for the digital video series, Chasing the Cure Presents: Saved By a Stranger. It's a run-up to the new medical series, Chasing the Cure, hat will focus on patients presenting their strange odd symptoms to top doctors
He scheduled a doctor's appointment for the next day, and was shortly after diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Pictured: El Moussa in the hospital
El Moussa said in the clip that his 'heart dropped' immediately after reading the email. He scheduled a doctor's appointment for the very next day.
'I knew that if a nurse took the time, energy and effort to send an email from Texas to mention my neck, there was probably something wrong,' he said.
Doctors diagnosed El Moussa with stage III thyroid cancer in 2013.
Thyroid cancer affects the thyroid
