A popular TikTok user is spreading awareness of colon cancer after announcing he was diagnosed with the disease and told that he has only five more years to live with chemotherapy.
Randy Gonzalez, 34, a TikToker from Pearland in Texas with over 15 million followers, announced in a video on Wednesday that he has stage 4 colon cancer.
“How I figured it out, I was having problems with my upper abdomen, and I was always in pain,” he said in the video.
“Luckily my wife told me to go get a colonoscopy.”
Along with his six-year-old son Brice, Mr Gonzalez is one half of the Enkyboys profile on TikTok.
In 2021, Brice landed a role in an Eva Longoria project.
After his diagnosis Mr Gonzalez said that he had initially decided to keep the news to himself.
“I kept it to myself, and I felt like it was selfish because I didn’t want to tell everybody my business … but I feel like I could use my situation to give awareness for young men like myself,” he said in the video.
“They say it’s very rare for a young guy like myself to catch colon cancer.”
While doctors have given him five years to live, Mr Gonzalez said that he wants to use the time to spread awareness about the disease.
“I want to help other people and start awareness for young men to get checked for colon cancer and get a colonoscopy,” he said.
He has started a donation page on GoFundMe to spread awareness of the disease as well as to help fund his medical treatment.
In the video Mr Gonzalez said that doctors told him his treatment could end up costing between $150,000 and $200,000.
As of 15 April, the page has received donations worth more than $143,000.
“A lot of people asking me, ‘Are you okay?’ And all I really need seriously is just prayers…. because God is good all the time,” he said.
“I just want to say thank you all so much for your love and support from me and my son. And if it wasn’t for y’all there wouldn’t be no Enkyboys.”
Speaking to KHOU11, Brice said that he believes that his father’s wellbeing is in God’s hands.
“When I found out he was sick, I didn’t like it, because I knew something was wrong with him,” he was quoted as saying.
“But it’s going to be okay because it’s in God’s hands and he’s going to take care of us.”
According to the American Cancer Society, men have a 1 in 23 chance of developing colon cancer in their lifetime while women have a 1 in 25 chance.
