Dad From Star Father-Son TikTok Duo Enkyboys Tells 15 Million Followers: ‘I Have Cancer’

However, the 34-year-old later realized that he can use his platform to raise awareness for colon cancer and encourage everyone, especially young men like himself, to get screened.

@enkyboys This what going on in my life,hope I answered y'all questions. Donate if you can if you can't prayer works thanks so much for the love and support #enkyboys #enkyboy #Awarenessforcoloncancer ♬ original sound – Enkyboy

"I want to help other people and start awareness for young men to go get checked for colon cancer, go get a colonoscopy," he said.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular colon cancer screening should begin at age 45. For Gonzalez, that’s 11 years from now. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults ages 45 to 75 be screened regularly for colorectal cancer with a colonoscopy and that adults ages 76 to 85 talk to their doctor about screening.

He went on to explain that his doctor told him he had between two and three years to live, but if he went through chemotherapy, he could live for five years.

"I didn't know how to take it," Gonzalez said in the video. "It was devastating … But, I believe in God and I believe in Jesus, and no man can dictate my life and tell me I only have a certain amount of time to live."

Gonzalez added that he's started a GoFundMe page to raise money for his treatment. He explained to his followers that he was turned away at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, because the hospital didn't accept his insurance.

@enkyboys My family and I appreciate the love and support let's keep this going for colon cancer awareness #enkyboy #enkyboys ♬ 【No drums】 Emotional space-like epic … – MoppySound

Gonzalez and his son Brice are the iconic father-son TikTok duo known as the Enkyboys. They started their TikTok page in November 2019 and have gained a mass following in the two and a half years since. Their fame grew even more after Brice landed a role in Eva Longoria's Flamin' Hot project. Brice will play one of the sons of the main character of the movie about Richard Montañez, the Frito-Lay janitor who says he cooked up Flamin' Hot Cheetos in his home kitchen, according to the Laredo Morning Times, a daily newspaper in Laredo, Texas.

"I'm so blessed that I have followers and friends on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook that are asking me if I'm OK because I lost weight," Gonzalez said.

"All I really need, seriously, is just prayers," he added. "I just want to say thank y'all so much for your love and support for me and my son, and if it wasn't for y'all, it wouldn't be the Enkyboys."

Getting a Colonoscopy to Diagnosis Colon Cancer

When you have a colonoscopy for colon cancer screening, the gastroenterologist performing the procedure is looking at the inside of your colon to detect polyps.

Polyps are small growths in the colon that aren't yet cancerous, but have the potential to develop into cancer. A polyp that's found during a colonoscopy is removed, which can actually prevent the development of cancer. A pathologist determines if it is a benign polyp or if it is colon cancer. Most polyps (about 95%) that are removed are precancerous, meaning that they have not yet progressed to cancer.

Looking for Polyps During Colonoscopy

In Gonzalez’s case, if he would've gotten a colonoscopy sooner, his cancer could have potentially been prevented, or caught earlier. Many people hold off on getting a colonoscopy because of the perceived discomfort or embarrassment of the situation. That's why it is helpful to know that it’s a painless procedure.

"When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope," Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif., previously told SurvivorNet. "That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a little flange at the end, and we pull the polyp out. Now, note there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers. So there's no pain."

When they take the polyp out, they send it to a lab.

"A pathologist basically cuts up the little polyp and looks under a microscope," Dr. Murrell explained. "And underneath the microscope, they can decide whether or not it is early cancer or whether it is just a precancerous polyp."

"But it would have been a cancer ultimately if you just let it grow and grow and grow," he continued. "Well, guess what? Now that it's out of your body, there is no more risk for that polyp to become a cancer."

Faith During a Cancer Battle

During a health crisis, such as Gonzalez’s colon cancer diagnosis, it’s important to find ways to cope with the complex web of feelings you may be experiencing.

For some, including the Gonzalez family, turning to faith can be a great way to keep spirits high when cancer starts taking an emotional and/or physical toll. In fact, a 2015 National Health Interview Survey found that 69% of cancer patients reported praying for their health compared to 45% of the general United States population.

‘My Faith Has Been Very Important’ Louisville Ovarian Cancer Survivor Monica Layton's Story

This was the case for ovarian cancer survivor Monica Layton, whose church congregation helped her both spiritually and physically as she battled cancer during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her church also aided in her recovery after treatment.

"(I've) gone to the same church for a long time, so it's like another family that really supports me," Layton previously told SurvivorNet. "We're Episcopalian, and when I was having surgery, my priest came to the hospital and stayed and prayed with my family the whole time and it was a long surgery. And then he came back to the hospital every day to pray with me."

In addition to praying for her, Layton's church congregation also sent flowers, cards and a prayer blanket. They often visited her, as well.

"They were so kind," Layton said. "I think my faith has been very important, crucial for me just the prayer really helps, I think."

Contributing: Abigail Seaberg

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