Is Ben Grosskopf OK? Emotional video of social media star, 14, revealing cancer battle shocks fans
TORONTO, CANADA: TikTok star Ben Grosskopf shocked his fans by revealing his battle with cancer in an emotionally charged video. Ben, who is 14 years old, has 1.4 million followers on his TikTok account, where he chronicles his life. While most of his videos show him having fun, such as dancing in Times Square or swimming in Costa Rica, his most recent video has a rather depressing tone.
In a hospital bed, he begins the video by telling his followers that they're will " have a little talk." Ben starts crying and explains, "This really isn't a fun, joyous video, to be making and anyone who has my condition knows that this isn't really something that's fun to be sharing." Ben said he waited to release the video until all members of his family and friends knew about his condition.
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'I have cancer'
TikToker Ben revealed in his latest videos: "Ok, ripping off the bandaid - I have cancer." Later in the video, he explained that it's not life-threatening at the moment. After knowing about his condition for a few days, he said he had some time to think about it. "If you've been following my TikToks for a while now, you might've known that I've been in and out of the hospital a little bit kinda just like testing for what I have," Ben explained, according to The Sun.
'Grateful that I didn't have cancer in my bone marrow'
According to the American Cancer Society, Ben revealed to his fans that he has lymphoma, a form of cancer that begins in immune system cells in the body. He described the three stages of lymphoma—A, B, and C—and how the complexity of treating each stage increases. He claims that he has stage B, the "most popular one," of his cancer. "I am very grateful that I didn't have cancer in my bone marrow already because that would've meant another two months of chemotherapy," he stated. "But this still does mean a good four months of chemo."
'Maybe I'll be able to recover super quickly'
According to the TikTok celebrity, his course of treatment "could be shorter or longer than we're expecting, depending on how my body reacts to it because it is a very intensive form of treatment." Ben stated that even though he anticipates losing his hair, he will test out a cold cap in the hopes of avoiding this. "But I'm gonna pray that it's gonna work," he stated and adding, "Even that most people have been telling me that using a cold cap isn't gonna stop most of my hair from falling out, I still wanna to try it 'cuz there's been some people who have been told that, but then they got amazing results." He continued,"Not that my hair is the most important thing right now, but that's the only thing that I care about because I not going to die." He went on to say that because chemo has so many side effects, it's "hard to get through your day-to-day life." Ben added that he had to shift from a hospital in New York to one in his native Toronto, Canada, because he lacks American health insurance and is unable to attend school or visit many of his friends in New York. "And who knows, maybe I'll be able to recover super quickly and I'll be able to go back to New York and get started on school again, said the star.
'You will beat lymphoma!'
Ben's comment box was flooded with messages of love and encouragement as the emotional video went viral. One user wrote, "Ben oh my god. Prayers to you and your family. You will beat lymphoma! Sending love," including heart emojis. Another wrote, "My dad had lymphoma and he used a cold cap it worked for him! Here for you Ben."
Some Twitter users are shocked to learn that the young celebrity is battling the illness. A user tweeted, "BEN GROSSKOPF HAS CANCER???" Another user wrote,"ben grosskopf has cancer and i’m very sad ab it." "oh my god ben grosskopf has cancer, said another. One wrote, "Ben Grosskopf has cancer oh my :( He's so young too."
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