There’s a common perception that live streaming and long hours playing video games is only for young people, but recent news has repeatedly shattered that stereotype. An 81-year-old grandmother from Arizona, USA, learned to live-stream and play Minecraft in order to save her grandson and became a star on the YouTube channel.
The grandmother, whose online name is GrammaCrackers, had no interest in Minecraft or other video games until her grandchildren showed her and invited her to play. The desire to stay connected to the younger generation quickly turned into a real passion. She even jokingly said: "I can stay up all night playing games, after all, I don't have a mother to push me to bed anymore."
Her efforts quickly paid off. Her first YouTube video received 500,000 views instantly, and the channel had more than 100,000 subscribers within a month. However, behind this channel is a serious mission and endless sadness. In the summer of 2024, her 17-year-old grandson was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive soft tissue cancer. According to the grandmother, the cost of treatment is comparable to the price of a small house. So she decided to use her popularity for good: Proceeds from her videos and live streams were used to pay for medical bills.
The gaming community showed amazing solidarity, with viewers starting to donate in amounts ranging from $1 to $5,000, and the crowdfunding campaign raised nearly $35,000. And the ending is happy. Recently, grandma announced that her grandson's cancer has receded and he is in recovery.