YouTuber Hank Green has revealed he’s been diagnosed with cancer. And he’s approaching it with the same frankness and optimism fans have come to expect.
The 43-year-old YouTube vlogger and brother of author John Green broke the news on their shared channel, vlogbrothers. In a video titled, “So, I’ve got cancer,” Hank gave his 3.5 million subscribers the scary health update. The writer began:
“So, I noticed that my lymph nodes were big. I talked to my doctor, she said it was probably nothing. ‘We’ll send you in for an ultrasound.’ Got an ultrasound. The tech in the ultrasound room was like, ‘I’m gonna go get a doctor.’ That’s not what you want to have happen. She was great, the tech, and so was the doctor. And they were like, ‘This looks like it could be suspicious for lymphoma and we’ll get you in for a biopsy.’”
Making light of the situation, the co-founder of VidCon joked that it’s scary when the American healthcare system moves so fast — as they scheduled him for surgery right away:
“And when it starts to get a little bit efficient, it’s actually quite disconcerting.”
He was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that causes trouble with the lymphatic, germ-fighting part of the immune system. It can cause swollen lymph nodes, much like the entrepreneur experienced, and growths throughout the body. According to the NHS, the cancer is described as “relatively aggressive” and can spread very quickly — but on a brighter note, it’s also considered one of the most treatable types of cancers. As Hank said in his video, “The goal is cure.”
Related: ‘Bucket List’ TikTok Star Dead At 18 From Rare Cancer
Amid his diagnosis, Hank mentioned he’s going to be stepping back from content creating for a while, but luckily they caught it quick:
“It seems likely that we caught mine early, [but I’m] still waiting on a scan to sort of confirm that.”
He also shared some worries about his upcoming chemotherapy sessions, which is completely understandable:
“I know I’m gonna feel like garbage, like it’s gonna be really unpleasant.”
Thankfully he has the right can-do attitude for it! You can watch his full video (below):
Regardless of such a tough diagnosis, he seems so positive!
His brother, John, who you may know as the author of the popular YA novel The Fault In Our Stars — which, yes, is about young people with cancer, took to Twitter to support Hank, writing on Friday:
“Some important news from Hank. My little brother is my closest collaborator, oldest friend, and my absolute hero. Thank you for loving him as I do, and supporting us–and each other–in a tough time.”
He also gave fans and followers alike some advice on how to handle this tough situation, adding:
“Pressure Hank to work: NO. Continue to tease Hank: YES. Give Hank unsolicited medical advice when you are not a professional in the field of lymphoma: NO. Give Hank unsolicited pelican GIFs: YES.”
Some important news from Hank. My little brother is my closest collaborator, oldest friend, and my absolute hero. Thank you for loving him as I do, and supporting us–and each other–in a tough time.https://t.co/tWsRFbR6wa
— John Green (@sportswithjohn) May 19, 2023
Pressure Hank to work: NO.
Continue to tease Hank: YES.
Give Hank unsolicited medical advice when you are not a professional in the field of lymphoma: NO.
Give Hank unsolicited pelican GIFs: YES.— John Green (@sportswithjohn) May 19, 2023
We guess he really likes pelicans! LOLz!
We’re sending love and light to Hank — hoping he makes a full recovery and writes a book about it! You know, if he feels like it.
[Image via vlogbrothers/YouTube]
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