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By Megan Cartwright
Associate News Editor
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Influencer Sidney Raz has been diagnosed with stomach cancer after his daughter died in utero.
In March, Raz—whose real name is Sidney Raskind—took to TikTok and Instagram to share that his baby died at 26 weeks in September, noting that the cause was holoprosencephaly.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, "holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a birth defect (congenital condition) that causes the fetal brain to not properly separate into the right and left hemispheres (halves)." In other words, Raz said in his social media video, "she wasn't growing a brain."
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Raz and his wife, Kelsey, decided to undergo genetic testing to try to find out what caused holoprosencephaly and learned that he and his daughter had a deletion which "has been seen to cause certain types of cancer, specifically stomach cancer." Kelsey did not have the deletion, and Raz confirmed that despite discovering the deletion, "there was no genetic reason why my daughter didn't develop a brain."
"I scheduled an endoscopy, and last week I went in for the endoscopy, and today I found out that I have stomach cancer," Raz said.
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Who Is Sidney Raz?
Raz is known for his popular "Life Hacks" series as well as his book Life Hacks, Tips & Tricks.
The content creator boasts millions of followers across various social media channels including Instagram (1.2 million), TikTok (4.5 million), Facebook (2 million), Threads (254,000), and YouTube (48,700).
Raz and Kelsey are the parents to a daughter born in 2023, Us Weekly reported.
During an appearance on The Nicki Sun Show in 2024, Raz said: "It's such a crazy thing because now I'm a dad. She's incredible."
What Is Sidney Raz's Latest Health Update?
On April 1, Raz shared via TikTok and Instagram that he will likely have his stomach removed, noting that he wasn't joking despite it being April Fool's Day.
"People are asking if it's going to be partial or total," he said, before confirming, "Total. No more stomach, no more tummy."
He added that "the cancer was caught early enough where taking out my stomach is the best course of action."
"The doctor said something crazy today," he continued. "The doctor said today that if I hadn't caught it this early, I would be back within three years at stage 3 or 4 cancer. So I might not have a stomach, but I'll be here in three to four years."
Raz told Newsweek that his surgery will likely be on April 18 "unless my cancer is bigger than doctors thought," which he will learn more about this week.
He added that Kelsey has been very supportive through his journey. "My wife is incredible, supporting me and coming to all of my appointments. My wife's family and friends are incredible too by helping take care of my daughter as needed."
Raz encouraged people to get DNA screenings, noting that they're "cheaper than they think" and will help them "learn if they have an increased risk of cancer."
Just this week, Raz demonstrated to fans how he will eat with no stomach using a bowl, paper towel holders and Goldfish crackers. He explained on TikTok and Instagram that while food normally travels down the esophagus to the stomach and onto the intestines, his esophagus will now be "attached" to his intestine, meaning the food he consumes will just go "straight down." He will, however, need to "chew a lot more," and he won't be able to "eat as much."
"It's gonna be a big adjustment, but I don't want cancer," he shrugged.
What Are Stomach Cancer Symptoms?
On April 4, Raz said on TikTok and Instagram that he "didn't have any symptoms" prior to getting tested.
The Mayo Clinic states that some patients may experience symptoms, however, which can include: trouble swallowing, belly pain, feeling bloated after eating, not feeling hungry when you would expect to be hungry, losing weight without trying, heartburn and more.
"It was literally just my daughter's DNA that saved my life," he shared. "Now, there can be a path forward."
Update 04/10/25, 7:15 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comment from Sidney Raz and additional information.
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