Doctor watching TV show spotted cancer on show's guest that she didn't know about
Say what you will about social media and daytime TV, but sometimes, they can help work wonders.
In fact, the power of Facebook and the popularity of HGTV's Beachfront Bargain Hunt played a big part in helping Nicole McGuiness get ahead of her serious cancer diagnosis - but it was an eagle-eyed doctor who really saved her bacon.
The then-32-year-old appeared on the property series alongside her father while in search of a holiday home in North Carolina to celebrate her recent recovery from brain cancer in May 2018.
She explained that she had set her sights on 'something near the water', specifically a beachfront property in Morehead City, to start afresh in this new phase of her life.
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Dr. Erich Voigt was one of the viewers who tuned into the Beachfront Bargain Hunt episode, which Nicole featured in, and she has been counting her blessings that he was watching ever since.
That's because although the ear, nose and throat surgeon from New York City was off the clock, his mind was not - so when he spotted something sinister on his TV screen, he made it his mission to alert the young woman.
Take a look at this:
Dr. Voigt had noticed that there appeared to be a strange lump on the house hunter's neck, which he suspected may be thyroid cancer, and said he 'felt obliged' to let Nicole know.
Speaking to the New York Post, the medic explained: "I was relaxing after a day of work, watching beautiful beach houses and daydreaming. But then I noticed the lump.
"It stood out - and I went from being relaxed to [thinking], 'Gosh, she may have a medical problem'.
"I thought, 'I don’t think she knows she has this'. I felt obliged and sort of guilty, like I should let her know. I paused my TV and rewound it. I had to make a choice whether to ignore it or actively try to contact her."
Dr. Voigt said he was alarmed as the lump had a specific asymmetrical look and a 'way of moving under the skin' when she spoke, and after examining thousands of patients in his time, it all seemed to point to one thing.
Although he was ready and willing to perform the good deed, the doctor hit a wall when he realised that Nicole's full name wasn't mentioned in Beachfront Bargain Hunt...so he decided to put his trust in the internet instead.
The otolaryngologist shared a clip from the show on Facebook alongside the caption: "I am watching a TV show and notice this woman has a left thyroid mass. She needs a sonogram and fine needle biopsy.
"I wonder if she knows and hope it's benign."
With the help of a hashtag and some supportive social media users, Dr. Voigt soon got his message to go viral.
Two weeks later, he was put in touch with Nicole via a family member and was thankfully able to advise her.
Dr Voigt urged her to get a sonogram and a biopsy to confirm his suspicions, before a local doctor then diagnosed her with thyroid cancer after tests.
Despite having recently finished treatment brain cancer, Nicole's doctors didn't notice the lump.
Speaking of her reaction to Dr Voigt's life-saving observation, Nicole told Inside Edition: "Somehow or another, by the grace of God, it got back to my family and we were shocked.
"We were shocked that a doctor witnessed this on television and reached out," she added.
Dr Voigt went on to praise the 'awesome power of Facebook and good people', before the pair were finally united in person by Good Morning America in June 2018.
Nicole told the medic: "I have gone through a lot the last couple of years and never expected to have to be a two-time cancer survivor.
"But without you keeping a vigilant eye and and watching that television show, who knows how long I would have gone on without that being checked. So from the bottom on heart, thank you so much."
Dr Voigt humbly responded: "I'm really happy to help. You know, doctors and nurses do this every day, it's what we do."
The latest update from Nicole, which was shared in 2021, explained that she was now living life to the fullest.
She said: "I’m very grateful for still being here. I read a statistic recently that less than 1 in 10 glioblastoma patients are alive after five years. I’m taking advantage of every day."
Olivia Burke