"Grateful, yet alarmed, to have uncovered this malignancy in its earliest stages, I urge you all to prioritize skin screenings," Tyler Belvins, the renowned Twitch star affectionately known as Ninja, posted on social media. The professional video gamer, now 32, revealed on X (the new name for Twitter) on Wednesday that the news still left him in disbelief.
"A routine dermatology appointment, scheduled proactively by my wife, Jess, revealed a mole on the underside of my foot that warranted removal for precautionary measures. The biopsy came back positive for melanoma, but thankfully, the doctors believe we caught it before it progressed." Belvins recounted, describing the appointment his wife had arranged.
He continued, "Another suspicious spot nearby was also biopsied, and a larger area surrounding the melanoma was excised, hoping that under microscopic scrutiny, we'll find clear, non-melanoma margins. While I'm thankful for the early detection, I want this to be a wake-up call for everyone to prioritize skin health."
With nearly 24 million subscribers on YouTube and recognized as the most followed user on Twitch, boasting 19 million followers, Belvins' journey from gaming superstar to mainstream icon is remarkable. His popularity propelled him to the cover of ESPN the Magazine, making him the first gamer to achieve such a feat. He's also published a graphic novel titled "Ninja: The Most Dangerous Game," appeared in the NFL's centennial Super Bowl commercial, released his own shoe collaboration with Adidas, and even starred in the hit reality show "The Masked Singer" in 2019.
In 2019, Belvins made a switch from Twitch to Microsoft's Mixer streaming platform, but ultimately returned to Twitch's fold in 2020 following Mixer's closure. This latest health scare serves as a timely reminder of the importance of regular health screenings, especially for those in the public eye.
