Young Jersey woman uses TikTok to raise awareness of cancer to millions
Antonia Rubio has used the experience of her thyroid cancer diagnosis to build a large online following. Pictures from TikTok @toniie.rubio
A young woman from Jersey has gained millions of online views for sharing her experience with cancer.
Antonia Rubio After fell ill with a range of symptoms while at a UK university in 2020 but says she found it difficult to get a suitable diagnosis.
She explained: "Cancer didn't come up until I asked the question, could it be cancer? That hadn't even been a possibility and I think that's why it came as such a shock for my family.
"No one was really taking me seriously and I think age was against me because they kept saying 'you're young, you're healthy'. But I definitely wasn't."
She decided to go for a private test and it was here that she learned she had stage two thyroid cancer.
Antonia added: "I had a gut feeling that it was cancer.
"I think it got to the point where my value of life was deteriorating and I realised that I'm 24 but I'm just not living the same life as other people.
"That's when I realised that something was significantly wrong and I deserved answers."
Antonia began documenting her treatments and symptoms, creating a candid account of her experience on the popular social media site TikTok.
She says she has inspired others to keep pressing for answers if they are unhappy with their diagnosis as her videos struck a cord with many.
Antonia said: "I get multiple messages a day from people that have cancer or maybe they have a loved one with cancer.
"I think it's good that they can go onto a platform, type in 'cancer' and there are videos of people who look like me and who are at the end of their journey and it kind of gives people hope that one day that will be them."
That is because Antonia is now cancer free, although she still has some way to go before a full recovery.
She is "super happy" that her videos have started conversations amongst young people in Jersey and beyond.