A courageous 14-year-old girl who inspired millions by sharing her lifelong battle with cancer has passed away, her devastated family announced on social media.
Zuza Beine, who documented her struggles with leukemia over the past several years on Instagram and TikTok, died Monday morning.
“She lived 11 of her 14 years with relentless cancer, yet she lived more fully and gratefully than most. Her presence changed us forever, and her passing will too,” her family wrote alongside a photo of the smiling teenager.
Zuza Beine, a 14-year-old from Wisconsin, has died after a long battle with cancer.
“More than anything, she wanted to be a normal, healthy kid. But what made her life so beautiful was how she faced the hardest circumstances, like her disease, and still lived fully,” her family wrote.
Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia — a type of blood cancer that originates in the bone marrow — at just 3 years old, Zuza seemed to beat the disease five times, only for it to return each time, according to her social media posts.
Zuza battled leukemia for 11 years, enduring more than a decade of often painful treatments, including three bone marrow transplants and multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
She gained millions of followers on social media by sharing her journey, candidly showing the emotional and physical toll of her illness. Just days before her death, she posted about feeling particularly unwell after a recent two-day hospital stay.
“Lately, my health has not been the best physically and mentally. I’ve been in so much pain lately. I’m constantly on pain medicine because my body hurts so, so, so bad,” she wrote.
In her final social media post, Zuza reflected on what she was most grateful for.
Her family said her attitude was best captured in that last post, in which she expressed appreciation for the everyday joys that many people often take for granted.
“Being diagnosed with cancer has made me deeply grateful for the everyday things that many people often take for granted,” she wrote, listing her delight in enjoying delicious food, experimenting with different hairstyles, and cherishing her relationships with family, friends, and pets.