TikTok star and mum-of-one Mai's Vault gives 'big' breast cancer update six months after announcing diagnosis

The star, known as Mai’s Vault online, first shared her diagnosis in November after fans kept asking her if she was okay. At the time, she uploaded a video to her Instagram and TikTok where she spoke directly to the camera and said: “I just want to address something and be very open with you guys, the truth is I am sick, I was diagnosed with breast cancer around my birthday in September. But not to be worried, everything is okay.”

Mai’s diagnosis came just months after she gave birth to her now, one-year-old son, who she shares with her childhood sweetheart husband Max. The pair regularly feature in her videos.

Now, Mai has given a wonderful update - she’s cancer-free. She told Vogue Arabia: “ I had a nipple-sparing mastectomy – which sounds a lot cuter than it feels – and I’m currently going through radiation, followed by hormone therapy. But the big news? I’m officially cancer-free. That sentence alone feels like a full-body exhale.”

Reflecting on her diagnosis, she said: “ It all started one day when I was in the shower and felt a small lump in my breast. I thought it was weird and told my mother-in-law, who said it could be a blocked milk duct, because I had beenbreast-feeding at the time.

“But within a few weeks it got exponentially bigger and I realised this was not something I could ignore. When I got the lump checked, my doctor said it looked very suspicious. When my doctor first told me I had breast cancer, I was shocked. My family and I were confused. How had this happened?”

She added: “I’m very thankful that my mom, husband and mother-in-law have been here throughout this journey. I also feel blessed that it was a type of breast cancer that is curable.

“Now, I live louder, love harder and laugh at things I used to stress over. Because when you fight for your life, you realise what you’re really living for – my son, my husband and the joy that still exists, even in the chaos. This journey taught me that positivity isn’t just a mindset, it’s medicine.”

Prior to her diagnosis announcement, Mai had posted a video telling fans she had shaved her head which had led many to be concerned. When she then invited her followers to ask her questions many simply asked if she was okay. The influencer later confirmed that her hair loss with due to her chemotherapy treatment. She also told her fans she loved them, and said she would continue to make the videos that make them laugh.

On her website, Mai describes herself as a first-generation Egyptian American and millennial “who dreaded getting up routinely in the morning for her 9-5 job” so she decided to pursue a career as an influencer as “she showed an overwhelming interest in social media and always enjoyed making others laugh at her day-to-day struggles.”

She is known for her comedic content, particularly featuring her Egyptian mum. She is also an international speaker and travels globally to share her influential message with other women.

Speaking about her decision to carry on posting to social media throughout her cancer journey, she told Vogue: “The internet has been a happy place for me, so I just wanted to carry on as usual. I didn’t want to be categorised differently or for cancer to be the only thing my life was about. I wanted to keep on inspiring others.

“I wanted to tell people that if somebody is going through something like this, they shouldn’t be treated any differently. Yes, I was sick, but I was still able-bodied. I still did things. I was still a mom, and still a comedian. Yes, I was going through this, but there’s so much more to me.”