81-year-old grandmother becomes Minecraft streamer to support grandson’s cancer treatment
While gaming streams are often dominated by younger creators, an elderly streamer has recently captured the internet’s attention.
An 81-year-old grandmother from the United States (US), Sue Jacquot, began streaming Minecraft on YouTube after learning the game from her grandchildren.
What started as a way to bond with them soon became a meaningful fundraising effort to support her 17-year-old grandson’s cancer treatment.
Launches YouTube channel to help grandson battle cancer
In 2024, Madam Jacquot created a YouTube channel called Gramma Crackers to raise funds for her grandson, Jack Self, who had been diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare cancer that develops in bone and connective tissue.
Source: GoFundMe
Despite having little prior interest in gaming, she took up Minecraft to stay connected with her grandchildren.
Her sincerity and determination quickly resonated with viewers, and her first video went viral, amassing more than 500,000 views in a short period.
The channel surpassed 100,000 subscribers within a month and became a significant source of financial support for Jack’s medical expenses.
Viewers rally with donations as funds climb past S$60,000
Beyond viewership, Madam Jacquot’s videos sparked an outpouring of generosity from around the world.
Donations ranged from as little as US$1 (S$1.30) to contributions exceeding US$5,000 (S$6,400).
A GoFundMe campaign linked through her videos has raised more than US$47,000 (S$60,000) at the time of writing, providing much-needed financial relief for the family.
Source: GrammaCrackers on YouTube
Jack’s older brother, Austin Self, later shared that the family was overwhelmed by the scale and range of support they received.
In an update posted on 18 Jan, he expressed deep gratitude, noting that the donations had helped ease the burden of mounting medical bills and provided stability during an uncertain time.
Streaming efforts culminate in hopeful outcome
The rapid growth of Gramma Crackers came as a surprise to Madam Jacquot’s family, who were impressed by how quickly she adapted to livestreaming and content creation.
During Jack’s hospital stays, he bonded closely with his grandmother over Minecraft, and was touched by the messages of encouragement and kindness sent in by viewers.
Source: GrammaCrackers on YouTube
Most importantly, the family has since received positive news.
Austin shared that Jack is now in remission and continues to grow stronger each day, even as he attends ongoing medical appointments and follow-up treatments.
As of writing, the Gramma Crackers YouTube channel has grown to over 344,000 subscribers.
Also read: 65-Year-Old Man Cycles Over 9,000km From Australia To S’pore To Raise Funds For Charity
65-Year-Old Man Cycles Over 9,000km From Australia To S’pore To Raise Funds For Charity
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from GrammaCrackers on YouTube and GoFundMe.
