Zuza Beine was a young content creator whose life journey touched millions. Zuza was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia when she was approximately three years old. Zuza fought the disease for more than a decade, going through recurring cycles of chemotherapy and even three bone marrow transplants throughout her lifetime.
She was famous on TikTok and Instagram for being so transparent about this battle—the pain, the hope and the small joys in between. In her updates, Zuza shared with her followers an insider’s perspective on experiencing severe illness as a teenager. She documented hospital stays, baldness, the emotional toll of treatment and also precious things like her favorite foods, hairstyles if possible, time spent with loved ones and friends. Her social media personality wasn’t all about hardship, it was about strength, weakness and thankfulness.
In the last few days of her life, Zuza articulated one of the most powerful messages she made. In the video she put in her bio “Be grateful for the little things,” she read off her notes the simple things she was incredibly thankful for: eating well, getting new haircuts and people.
Even though she admitted to the debilitating pain she was enduring how much pain her body was in how treatment was wrecking her body she refused to highlight anything other than gratitude.
Zuza passed away on September 22, only 14 years old, after her 11 year fight with leukemia.
Her family reported her death in a heart-wrenching statement “It is with broken hearts that we share that Zuza died yesterday morning.”
They said she fought relentless disease for 11 of her 14 years, but “lived more fully and gratefully than most.”
Her passing was greeted by an outburst of grief and tribute online. Fans, producers, and even celebrities honored her. Her fanbase skyrocketed following her passing as fans flooded to keep her memory alive. A few commented on how she not only utilized her platform to share suffering, but also to construct empathy, resilience and hope.
Zuza’s legacy is one of strength in the face of unimaginable adversity of a girl who, even though grounded by illness, never allowed it to completely hold her back. She lived with intention, voiced what was hers,and taught us to cherish the small things in life. Her death leaves us with sorrow but also a powerful reminder in the midst of the pain, we can be human, exposed and grateful.
