Brandon Buckingham: YouTube Star Pleads For Financial Help After Being Rushed To ICU With Organ Failure
The 30‑year‑old creator Brandon Buckingham, who has amassed more than a million subscribers with his documentary‑style reporting — previously revealed on Friday that he was rushed to intensive care, revealing to fans that several of his organs had begun to fail.
In a stark message from his hospital bed, Brandon
Buckingham told followers Friday: 'In the ICU, my heart is failing, my lungs
are failing, my liver and kidneys are failing.' He added, 'Things are not
looking good my friends. I love you guys.'
On Saturday he posted again, pleading for
donations for his family on the grounds that he is their sole breadwinner his
illness is preventing him from earning.
Brandon Buckingham posted an X video of
herself looking pale and drawn as he sat in his hospital bed, reading out a
message that explained: 'I don't know what's going to happen to me, but I know
for sure if I do survive, it will be a very long recovery and I will not be
able to provide for my family for at least several months if things go well.'
Buckingham's fans leapt into action and
within four hours of his X post, they had donated more than $109,000, far
surpassing his goal of $75,000.
'Hey guys, my name is Brandon Buckingham and
it really pains me to write this but I feel obligated to only because I have an
11-month-old baby who is taken care of by my beautiful stay-at-home wife who I
provide for,' he said.
'Four days ago I woke up not knowing where I
was, completely deaf. My feet were swollen and I was in severe pain. I was
rushed to urgent care and eventually the ICU. I was very disoriented, confused
and unable to breathe,' he said.
'The initial diagnosis was acute systolic
heart failure, kidney failure and liver failure, all things brought on by
pneumonia and subsequent sepsis or possibly tuberculosis.'
Although the doctors have now ruled out
tuberculosis, Buckingham noted that 'my heart is still failing and my lungs and
kidneys are still in very rough shape.'
He may require two to four months of bedrest,
and 'will need help with things like my mortgage, utilities, baby supplies and
over $100,000 of medical debt I have racked up while dealing with this
nightmare,' on top of which he 'will also likely need to be on heart medication
the rest of my life.'
With visible emotional strain in his voice,
he continued: 'I've never asked for help before but my heart is currently only
working at 15 to 20 percent, so if anyone out there cares, please consider
donating to my GoFundMe to help me provide until I am able to work again, as
well as help me out for medical bills I have racked up.'
He urged those unbale to donate to watch his
past videos 'as I won't be able to upload new ones for a while. Thank you for
all your love and prayers. This has been one of the scariest times of my life
and all your support has meant the world to me.'
Buckingham's post came after he had already
warned fans earlier in the week that doctors were scrambling to pinpoint the
cause of his rapid decline.
On Wednesday, he said specialists believed he might be suffering from
tuberculosis, septic pneumonia, and/or liver failure, and urged
supporters to pray for him.
Buckingham also uploaded a photo showing him
visibly weakened and wearing a nasal cannula, sending fans into a frenzy of concern.
Hundreds of messages poured in, with one
follower writing, 'Pray the lord gives you the strength to get back to 100%”,
while another added, 'Sending prayers.'
What made the sudden downturn even more
shocking was that just days earlier, Brandon had sounded cautiously
optimistic.
He had told followers his condition appeared
to be stabilizing, sharing: 'I’m out of the hospital for now and my condition
seems to have stabilized.
'God willing, in a few weeks I will be able
to start improving.'
Buckingham has long been open with viewers
about his mental‑health struggles, speaking earlier this year about the toll
his grandmother’s death had taken on him.
In a heartbreaking message at the time, he
admitted: 'I haven’t been in a good place for a bit… I am struggling with my
mental health.
'I feel I have more people waiting for me in
heaven than here on earth.. I love you grandma, say hi to Kyle for me. I wish I
could die with you.'
Known for interviewing strangers across
America and diving into global issues, the creator has built a sizable
following of 1.21 million subscribers.
His most recent upload — a documentary shot
in Lebanon — focused on what he called the 'homeless child epidemic in the
Middle East.'
His work has also featured appearances from stars
including Machine Gun Kelly and fellow YouTuber Tommy G.
Comments
Post a Comment