TikTok is a seemingly never-ending stream of videos about pretty much anything: DIYs, fashion inspiration, life hacks, people with rare diseases talking about them openly.
That last one is more niche, but it's what TikToker Becca Butchers has found to lead to both good and bad viral fame when she started making videos.
She initially started out with the typical posts, but quickly one topic took over her videos: her breasts. Not the way you're thinking, though.
Butcher has Poland syndrome, a rare illness that often leads to a missing or undeveloped pectoral muscle on one side of the body. Butcher also discovered videos about Poland syndrome attracted extremely high views as viewers started to see her clearly different-sized breasts and she responded to their questions.
Poland syndrome is uncommon.
Experts estimate between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 100,000 persons may be affected, though untreated instances could increase those numbers. Additionally, it might be difficult for those who have the syndrome to get a proper or early diagnosis.
Once they do, they can find it difficult to establish networks of support and gain access to resources that support in planning for the future.
Reactions on her videos are curious and grateful.
@akwardgiraffe/TikTok
@tdpdaodaat/To
@emmabayne_/TikTok
@pamoverkill/TikTok
@gunnhildur/TikTok
@jordanparker414/TikTok
But she also sees the downside of talking just about this one topic all the time, which is that she's much more than her medical condition, no matter how important and gratifying she finds it to help people like herself.
It's a lot for one person, she said in an interview with Insider.
"I want to help people, but it's got to the point where I wish that somebody else like me would come along and kind of take over."
She is very excited to talk about the other aspects of her life, but that's not what people ask about, or what garners views that can make money.
People chimed in after she made that video, supporting her diversifying her content.
@shelley0641/TikTok
@bluemeanies1/TikTok
One person even said it was Butcher's other videos that weren't about her condition that made them stumble upon her page and learn about Poland Syndrome for the first time.
@dominichenko5/TikTok
You can learn more about Poland Syndrome at the National Organization for Rare Diseases.
@PreetBharara/X
@RepBrendanBoyle/X
@twesq/Bluesky
@christopherharris/Bluesky
@evangelinewarren/X
@FrankC164/X
AMC