Victoria Kozlyuk Shares Her Cancer Diagnosis at 34 and Begins a Journey of Healing

15 January 2026

Courtesy of Victoria Kozlyuk/ Instagram

Victoria Kozlyuk, the beloved fashion influencer whose stylish content and candid personality have won her hundreds of thousands of followers, recently revealed a deeply personal and unsettling chapter in her life: she has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer at just 34 years old. In a heartfelt video posted to her Instagram account, Kozlyuk shared the emotional roller coaster of her diagnosis, the surgery she underwent just before Christmas Eve and the vulnerability she has felt as she processes this life-altering news with a blend of honesty and hope. Her story, as she chose to tell it, resonated with her audience not for the glamour that so often accompanies her online presence, but for the raw humanity and courage she displayed in speaking openly about her health and her future.

Kozlyuk began her video by describing how surreal it felt to admit the words out loud “I definitely did not think that I would be ending 2025 with cancer” and how overwhelming the past month had been since first learning she had the disease. What initially may have seemed like a routine health concern quickly turned into a more serious diagnosis after medical evaluations indicated the presence of thyroid cancer, prompting an urgent surgical intervention just days before Christmas. The timing of the surgery only compounded the emotional stress, as Kozlyuk balanced the holidays with the looming reality of her diagnosis, anxiety over her future and the immediate decision to remove the cancerous tissue from her thyroid.

In describing her pre-surgery experience, Kozlyuk admitted that the fear she felt was real and powerful. She posted clips from her hospital room showing herself changing into a hospital gown and giving her husband a kiss before heading into the operating room and confessed that she was not ready and was shaking with nerves at how terrifying it all felt. Even for someone accustomed to sharing slices of her life online, this moment was profoundly different. Instead of filters, outfits and curated aesthetics, she offered unfiltered emotion, a level of openness she said she had never shown before because she wanted her followers to understand what it was really like behind the scenes.

Following the surgery, the content creator captured moments of her recovery, from lying in a hospital bed to resting at home, reflecting on how disorienting and surreal the process had been. Despite the challenges she faced physically, mentally and emotionally Kozlyuk emphasized one crucial piece of good news that has offered her comfort: the cancer was caught early. Early detection, she said, has given her a fighting chance and a foundation of optimism on which to lean as she approaches the next steps in her treatment and healing process.

Even amid the fear and uncertainty, Kozlyuk chose to remain true to her own coping strategy that of normalcy. She explained that she went ahead with hosting her Christmas Eve gathering just two days after the surgery, an act she called “absolutely wild” but also essential for her sense of stability and control in a period that otherwise felt dominated by loss of control. Maintaining aspects of her routine, surrounded by family during the holidays, became an anchor in a moment when many things felt unpredictable.

Her decision to be transparent about such an intensely private experience also spoke to a sense of responsibility she feels toward her audience. With more than 520,000 followers on Instagram and 455,000 on TikTok, Kozlyuk has spent years sharing curated moments from her life fashion shoots, travel, motherhood, beauty routines and the joy of raising her three children. But in her caption alongside the video, she noted that this was the most vulnerable post she had ever made because it revealed parts of herself that she had always kept behind the scenes. She acknowledged that while she had shown her happiest, most glamorous moments, she “also wanted to be transparent and share her most challenging” chapter.

In closing her message, Kozlyuk struck a note of resilience. She described herself as someone who has built strength through life’s challenges, joking that she was “adding another badge of strength to this body” in facing cancer at such a young age. With the new year underway, she declared 2026 her “year of healing,” a phrase that reflected not only her determination to recover physically but also her desire to shift focus toward health, hope and growth after a period marked by uncertainty and stress.

The response from her followers and peers has been one of support and solidarity. Many applauded her bravery for speaking so candidly about her health, sharing messages of encouragement, concern and admiration for how she navigated such a deeply personal experience with authenticity and strength. In a digital culture that often prizes perfection, Kozlyuk’s willingness to share a chapter marked by fear and vulnerability reminded many of the profound power of human connection even through a screen.

As she continues on this journey, Kozlyuk’s story adds to a broader narrative about influencers who use their platforms not just to showcase lifestyle and beauty but also to illuminate the realities of health, struggle and resilience in ways that resonate deeply with audiences. Her declaration that 2026 will be her year of healing carries not just personal significance but a hopeful message for anyone facing adversity: that even in the midst of fear, there is space for courage, community and a renewed commitment to living fully.