“Flipping 101” HGTV host Tarek El Moussa, 42, is a father to three children, and he’s now reflecting on a new reality: the two-time cancer survivor’s youngest son isn’t a baby anymore.
El Moussa often shares sweet videos of him and his wife spending quality time with their kids. He used his desire to be a great father to help fuel his willingness to fight amid personal struggles, including cancer.
In 2013, El Moussa was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after a watchful viewer on his TV show noticed a lump on his neck. A few years later, he dealt with testicular cancer, which typically has symptoms like swelling or discomfort in the scrotum. El Moussa had a testicle removed amid treatment.
Cancer patients with children can have increased motivation to endure difficult treatment, but experts suggest having an effective communication plan about the situation will help ease the emotional impact of the illness on them.
HGTV star Tarek El Moussa, 42, is cherishing fatherhood moments as he comes to terms with the fact that his youngest son isn’t a baby anymore. El Moussa, a two-time cancer survivor, says he often found inner strength during some of his darkest times through his children – including his bouts with testicular and thyroid cancer.
“Every day he wakes up, and it seems like he’s bigger,” El Moussa said in a heartfelt social media post showcasing his son Tristan.
“It’s bittersweet because it’s so incredible to watch the changes and milestones but sad because he’s not a little baby anymore,” El Moussa added.
El Moussa is an author and television host of “Flipping 101 with Tarek El Moussa.” He has three kids – a daughter and two younger sons.
He’s admittedly dealt with a few personal issues, which included addiction and a very public divorce over the years he candidly outlined in his book “Flip Your Life.” Throughout his struggles, he always centered his efforts for self-improvement around his children.
In 2013, meaning strife with his marriage coincided with his cancer journey. According to the National Cancer Institute, thyroid cancer occurs when cancer cells form in the tissues of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is located at the base of the neck and produces hormones that regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight. A lump or swelling in the neck is a common symptom of this type of cancer.
“From 2013 to 2016, it was hell,” El Moussa told Fox News Digital during an interview.
“You know, hitting rock bottom in 2016, when my ex-wife decided that she wanted to end things, you know, that’s when I had to dig deep and really figure out who I was and who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go and how I was going to get there. So, I did a lot of work on myself to get to where I am today,” El Moussa said.
He was hit with another cancer diagnosis, testicular cancer, in 2017. Symptoms for this type of cancer may include “swelling or discomfort in the scrotum,” according to the National Cancer Institute. El Moussa worried that the cancer would impact his fertility since he had one of his testicles removed during treatment. Testicular cancer survivors may encounter fertility issues after overcoming the disease, but this is not always the case.
Tarek Coping With Fertility Struggles
According to the Moffitt Cancer Center, removing one testicle may not always affect fertility for men. Men may be able to maintain their fertility after. However, if both testicles are removed, the man will not preserve his fertility.
“Testicular cancer commonly occurs from ages 20-45, but it can occur at any age,” Dana-Farber medical oncologist Dr. Bradley McGregor previously told SurvivorNet.
Meanwhile, other cancer treatments like chemotherapy can damage sperm in men, and hormone therapy can decrease sperm production, according to the National Cancer Institute. Radiation to the reproductive organs or nearby areas can potentially lower sperm count and testosterone levels, causing infertility.
El Moussa noted how he would feel tired more frequently, leading him down a path of consequential treatment.
“I was tired, and my thyroid levels – I thought it was from my thyroid, or I thought it was from my testicular cancer, so I went to this Botox doctor, a hormone clinic that my ex said to go check out and next thing I know I’m shoving a needle in my a—and I’m taking steroids…It was awful…way too much testosterone,” El Mousa told Fox News Digital.
Tarek El Moussa cuddles with his baby.
El Moussa’s candid recounting of the last few years of his life is part of his journey to reclaiming his sense of self and good mental health.
“You know, I fought two cancers, I fought back surgery. I was dealing with all these hormone problems. And honestly, I lost my way. I lost who I was. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t know who I was anymore,” he said.
A couple of years after his divorce from Hall and reaching remission from his bouts with cancer, El Moussa coupled with Heather Rae Young, and the two married in 2021 and had baby Tristan.
He’s since reached a point where he has indeed found happiness with his life, family, and real estate career. His book aims to help fuel others who may have faced similar adversities with hope and inspiration.
“You know, I love being in my forties. I love being established. I love my family. I love my wife. I love my kids. Like, I couldn’t be happier, and that’s the truth,” he said.
WATCH: A Cancer Survivor’s Ode To Friends and Family: “My Support System Helped Me Heal”
How Parents Find Strength in Children During Cancer Battle
As Tarek El Moussa has shown, it can help cancer warriors to know they have a strong support group behind them before and after treatment.
SurvivorNet experts say it helps alleviate anxiety and depression as cancer treatments become more intense over time or when they adjust to a new normal afterward.
Sometimes, the support can come from a supportive spouse or partner or even your children. Young family members such as children can also serve as motivation for cancer warriors, just as El Moussa said.
El Moussa expressed his sentiments after his cancer battles simply enough, “I have to be healthy and alive for them,” he said in his Instagram post.
Facing cancer as a parent can be incredibly daunting. Fearful thoughts about leaving your children may creep into your mind and add even more to your overflowing plate.
“No matter what your prognosis is, it’s essential to talk openly and honestly with kids,” said Laura Nathan-Garner, Director of Strategic Communications at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
“Cancer patients with children can have increased motivation to endure difficult treatment but may also be concerned about the emotional impact of the illness on their offspring,” Dr. Cindy Moore of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center explained to The ASCO Post, an oncology newspaper.
Based on El Moussa’s cancer journey posts, he was also concerned about the long-term impact his cancer diagnosis would have on his children.
Dr. Moore said cancer warriors with children should discuss their biggest concerns with their healthcare teams so an effective communication plan can be created to explain their diagnosis to their kids.
