Last Christmas, Benjamin Daniel Breedlove, better known as Ben Breedlove — a YouTube broadcast vlogger who touched millions through his videos — took his last breath. During the last two years of his life, Breedlove spoke of his faith, life experiences and even dispensed advice that made him an Internet personality.
Breedlove, who is from Austin, Texas, had suffered from the heart disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) since he was a child. A person suffering from this disease can find it difficult to breathe because the muscles of the heart are unable to pump efficiently. The disease can be considered hereditary.
His first channel on YouTube, OurAdvice4You, was created in November 2010 and featured his interviews of his family members and friends. This channel has a total of 38 videos with nearly 66,000 subscribers. His second channel, BreedloveTV, has 17 videos and almost 34,000 subscribers. Through these videos, he answered questions about dating and relationships and gave advice.
A third channel was created by Breedlove on December 18, 2011, titled TotalRandomness512. This channel is the host of the two-part video This is my story, where he told the public about his heart condition. Both videos became viral with more than 11.6 million views.
In one of his stories in the video, he said, “I was at school, walking in the hall. I could tell that I was going to faint, so I sat on a bench. I passed out. The next thing I know, I woke up with the EMS around me. I could only watch what they were doing. They put the shock pads on my chest. I heard one of them say, “They are ready”. And the other guy said, “Go!” I passed out again. My heart stopped, and I wasn’t breathing for three minutes”. That was the third time he cheated death. The first when he was four and one time when he was in the hospital for a tonsillectomy operation.
His last words in his video before he passed on were written on a card: “Do you believe in God or Angel?“ He continued with another card that read “I do!” Ben was gone forever on Christmas evening in 2011 while his family and friends gathered for Christmas dinner.
According to his school friend, Ben had just received a new video camera as a Christmas gift and had been excited to try it out. While outside, he began experiencing shortness of breath and light-headedness. Breedlove laid down in the yard and then passed out. His family was thrown into a panic and called 911 immediately. They even gave him CPR with the hope of reviving him but to no avail since Ben passed away that day.
News of his death received worldwide coverage on December 27, 2011. On January 5, 2012, the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA) stated that people who have the same disease as Ben should feel encouraged to follow Breedlove’s example since it’s the only way to have people remember their final moments.
They hope that a cure will be found for this disease soon. As for Breedlove, let us all pray together for him, and may God bless him.
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