Abbi Murray
One man owes his life to persistent TikTok users who warned him about a potentially cancerous mole they spotted on his back. Watch the video in question below:
Back in December 2019, Alex Griswold uploaded a casual video with his wife to TikTok, which featured a one-second clip of his back.
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The 25-year-old soon received a number of frantic messages from two individuals strongly advising him to see a dermatologist.
Alex wasn’t convinced but went for a checkup anyway, where he was told he had a higher risk of developing skin cancer.
The TikToker then had two potentially dangerous moles removed.
Much to Alex’s shock, the doctor told him his life had potentially been saved by the observant pair that first spotted the mole.
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Alex, from New York City, said: “If I had continued to look at my mole as a thing to not worry about, I’m not confident how the whole situation would have ended.
“I had less than 100,000 followers and really wasn’t receiving a lot of DMs so the persistent messages from those two users really stood out.
“For a few weeks, I almost didn’t take their advice because I didn’t really think it would be a problem.”
The TikTok users had told Alex about their experiences with similar-looking moles and how they had to have them removed due to the increased chance the area would develop into skin cancer.
Explaining the procedure behind detecting these atypical moles, Alex said: “First they’ll remove the mole to be safe, and then perform a skin biopsy to determine if they’ll need to remove more of the surrounding skin.
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“They removed more of my skin as I had a higher risk of developing skin cancer, leaving me with a permanent two-inch long scar on my back.
“Leading up to having my pre-melanoma removed, I felt very casual about the whole thing.
“It wasn’t until after my procedures when my dermatologist told me that my life was potentially saved that I realized the severity of the situation.”
Alex believes that his experience was not only helpful in encouraging others to have their skin checked but also a great story of internet positivity and how people are willing to go out of their way to help others.
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He added: “The reaction online has been overwhelmingly positive. I often get messages from people who were inspired to go to their dermatologist because of my video about this.
“I’ve learned that it is so important to take care of your body and seek any help that you think you may need.
“Remember that people are good and that they want to help others - the internet is just another tool to make that possible.”