A 14-year-old boy with terminal brain cancer has been posting on YouTube every day for nearly a month, showing off his artistic talent and giving hope to those who have begun subscribing to him in droves.
Steven Sudell, whose nickname is Weev, created a channel called Theweevster18 to show off his drawings, and the response has been tremendous.
He was diagnosed with cancer in April 2017—he underwent radiation and chemotherapy for that—and the cancer returned last March. According to the Greenwich Free Press, Sudell has been at his Connecticut home in hospice since the summer.
Now, he’s using his time to inspire his fans.
“Keep moving forward, don’t think about the bad, think about the positive, and you will be living life,” Sudell recently told News 12 Connecticut.
In his first video, uploaded Oct. 24, Sudell described his vision for the channel, saying, “This is a channel for people who want to see drawings and just, like, fun things. … It’s been a struggle. If you guys want to see some videos, just subscribe and hit the like button. Thanks.” From there, he began posting videos that showed off the surroundings in his house, including a Christmas tree in his living room (“We did Christmas in October, guys,” he said), and he thanked his fans when he hit the 50-subscriber milestone.
Since then, though, his subscribers have shot up to nearly 12,000 as of this writing, and now that his latest video began trending on Reddit, he can be sure that number will continue to climb.
And it’s easy to say why. Sudell—who also raised $15,000 for charity by painting rocks—seems sweet and optimistic, and who doesn’t want to see drawings of a pug (which he can’t have in real life because the landlord doesn’t allow it)?
Or of a unicorn?
Or of a rhino?
Or of Sabrina, the Italian donkey?
People can’t help but watch and subscribe, especially when they were pointed to this video (currently at about 90,000 views) from Reddit on Friday.
When he got to 600 subscribers, he said, “Oh my gosh, it puts a tear in my eye.” On Thursday, he hit 3,000 subscribers and he exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, you guys are amazing. Hitting 3,000 subscribers overnight, you guys really make my day. It’s insane. Just, thank you. You guys, you shock me.”
By Friday, he had gained even more fans.
As Make-A-Wish Connecticut wrote, Sudell is “living the best life he can with his family and close friends in the time they have left. He has a constant smile on his face and has always had a giving heart. His inner strength has touched the lives of his caregivers and other young patients facing similar circumstances after just one meeting. He is an inspiration and everyone who meets him can feel his sense of peace and calm.”
If you’ve seen him on YouTube, it’s impossible to disagree.