26-Year-old Cancer Patient Goes Viral for Positive Attitude and Sharing the Bright Side of Chemotherapy

No one ever wants to hear that they have cancer. A doctor diagnosed Alex Reddington with breast cancer at 26 years old. She was a young woman who felt lost with her diagnosis. She told People there were plenty of resources for teenagers with cancer or older adults, but she felt very limited as someone in her 20s. So, Alex did what felt comfortable and brought her journey to social media.

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“Anytime any of us post on TikTok, we’re all in each other’s comments, and we’ve gone through treatment at the same time,” she explained to People. “So TikTok for me was my charity, in a sense. That was where I found my community, but also it was hell for me, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through it.”

Alex Reddington explained that when she felt isolated or afraid, she’d look for other cancer patients on TikTok, and it gave her hope.

“I would get so many comments from other people saying, ‘I’m in the exact same place right now.’ Before my double mastectomy, I got no advice from doctors and asked, ‘What do I need before surgery?’ The women on TikTok were like, ‘Buy yourself a pregnancy pillow.’ It was my saving grace,” she said. “If it weren’t for TikTok, I wouldn’t have it.”

Alex gives her own tips, including a viral video about “the positives of chemotherapy.” For her, that meant not having to shave, wear deodorant, or buy feminine hygiene products for months.

“I try to do parody skits and more comedy. When you look up cancer on social media, there’s a lot of tears and a lot of fear-mongering. Cancer is tragic, but I thought there needs to be some almost positive side to it,” Alex said.

Her humor may not be for everyone, but thousands find her content refreshing. That’s all the motivation Alex needs to keep going.

“When those people respond and say, ‘You’ve made me laugh today,’ it keeps me going, and it means the absolute world to me.”

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