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'He was meant to die old with me': YouTuber Landon Clifford's death leaves young widow Camryn and fans shattered

Many fans had reactions of extreme grief while some thought it was a prank but also knew that Camryn would never do something like that

Landon Clifford, known for his popular YouTube channel 'Cam & Fam' has died at the age of 19 after suffering an unknown brain injury. His 19-year-old wife Camryn Clifford confirmed the heartbreaking news on the 'Cam & Fam' Instagram account. "August 13th, 2020 was Landon's last day being the best dad and husband he could be," she said in the post addressing fans.

“After spending the following 6 days in a coma he passed on and donated several organs to people in need all over the country. He died saving the lives of others. That’s the type of person he was.” Her post was accompanied by a picture from Landon's hospital bed that showed him hooked up to tubes while Camryn's hand lay on his chest, her wedding ring on view. 

Landon and Camryn, who got married in June 2019, used to post regularly on their channel about being young parents, documenting life with their kids, Collette Briar Clifford, 2, and Delilah Rose Clifford, who was born in May 2020. The couple’s popular video series amassed 1.29 million subscribers since premiering in 2017. Touching on their moments together as a family, Camryn wrote: "He was an amazing husband and the best father those girls could of ever asked for. It saddens me deeply that they will never get to truly know him. He was so young and had so much more life to live. This isn’t how things were supposed to go . . . He was meant to die old with me. Words can not come close to describe the pain I feel.” She ended her post with the words, "All I can do now is make sure our girls know how much he loved us. He’s looking down on us from heaven and his light will shine through the clouds when we look up at him. May he rest peacefully." 

After the news was confirmed, her feed was flooded by their fans trying to comfort the devastated young widow. A GoFundMe page has since been set up by fans of the social media star to raise money for Landan's family. 

Landon and Camryn began their Youtube channel after Camryn gave birth to their first daughter when she was only 16 years old. One reason for their massive popularity was that they showed how it was to be young and in love, as homeschooling teens, while also juggling the responsibilities of being young parents. Their most popular video titles had titles like 'Engaged at 17: Our Love Story', 'A Day in the Life of a Pregnant Teen in High School (+ What I Eat in A Day)', and 'Teen Dad at 16: How I Told My Parents'.

Their subscribers, who the couple called their "Camily", essentially watched them dating, getting pregnant and then married, and also expanding their family, online, and were allowed intimate access to their family life, including the snapshots of how their baby daughters were growing up. This virtual 'closeness' was expressed in several tweets commenting on Landon Clifford's untimely death: "I have watched this family for years and it’s just so surreal to find out Landon passed away. I hope you’re doing ok Cameron. We love you @camandfam1 rest (in) Peace Landon"

Another tweet expressed how the pain of Landon's death felt too real because of their YouTube channel. "I am praying for you and your 2 little girls. I dont know you guys personally to feel ur exact pain but I have watched your channel seriously grow. Landon was such a light and im sure he passed it down to ur babies. My head cannot except [sic] your loss. Fly high Landon"

Others couldn't believe the news at first and thought it was a prank but also knew that Camryn would never do something like that. When their followers heard about Landon's death, many had reactions of extreme grief that their families could not understand. 

According to one fan, the couple had not posted any videos for two months because Camryn was taking a social media break for her mental health because she was suffering from postpartum depression after giving birth to daughter Delilah Rose in May. The second blow came after Landon's brain injury because of which he slipped into a coma and died on August 19.

Delilah was just three months old at the time of Landon’s death. Landon and Camryn first started dating in 2015 and attended a homecoming dance together that year. Post that, the couple navigated pregnancy, telling their families, which had some friction between them in true 'Romeo and Juliet' style, being parents and preparing for college, despite their unusual circumstances. Their videos documenting their lives amassed around 184 million views.