14-year-old TikTok star Ben Grosskopf reveals he has cancer

TikTok star Ben Grosskopf has recently shared that he is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy treatment in a heartbreaking new video.

The 14-year-old revealed the diagnosis to his 1.4m followers who he keeps up to date with content about his day-to-day life from holidaying in Costa Rica to living in New York.

Though this time, Grosskopf posted from his hospital bed, where he said: "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."

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He explained that he wanted all of his family and friends to know what was going on before making a public video about his health.

"Ok - ripping off the bandaid, I have cancer. But I have also known about this for three or four days now so I have had time to process it," he said.

Grosskopf then detailed that he has Lymphoma and those following his TikTok videos may have noticed that he's been "in and out of the hospital a little bit," as he has been getting test done to see what he has.

He added that the stages of Lymphoma are in letters (A,B,C) rather than numbers, with stage A being the "lightest form" with each stage after this increasing in difficulty to treat.

The TikToker has stage B Lymphoma which he noted is the "most popular one."

"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 said.

"But this still does mean a good four months of chemo."

At the moment, the length of his 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."

As a result, this could mean Grosskopf could lose his hair, however he has said he will be using a cold cap to try and avoid this.

A cold cap is "something that cuts off circulation from your head, but really all the doctors are kind of saying that I shouldn't be expecting that high results from it."

"But I'm gonna pray that it's gonna work," he said.

"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," though added he's "expecting my hair to be gone."

"Not that my hair is the most important thing right now but it’s the only thing I care about because I’m not going to die."

Grosskopf reflected on how there are a lot of side effects to chemotherapy that "makes it hard to get through your day-to-day life."

The teenager is currently being treated at a hospital in Toronto, Canada after flying from New York because he doesn't have health insurances in the US, and he can't go to school or doing anything in New York while he's receiving treatment.

"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," he said.

At the end of the video, Grosskopf promised to update his followers regularly on this "experience."

Since sharing his diagnosis, Grosskopf's video has received 6.5m views, 1.3m likes, and over 32,000 comments from his followers wishing him well.

One person wrote: "Ben oh my god. You’re in my prayers I love you."

"I’m wishing you the best of health and recovery," another person said.

Someone else added: "The way my jaw dropped."

"My mom had Lymphoma as well not fun! Sending so much love and prayers!!!!" a fourth person commented.

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