"Can't raise money": How one viral video sparked a lifeline for a veteran Dad fighting terminal disease 

Belgium marks 108th Armistice Day anniversary in Brussels - Source: Getty
Viral video gives terminally ill veteran dad hope- Source: Getty

A video of a Colorado veteran dad sharing his battle with terminal brain cancer, his love for his young daughters, and his determination to keep fighting has gone viral on social media. The video was posted by Samuel Weidenhofer, also known as itssozer, on social media and gained over 30,000 likes at the time of writing this article.

In the video, Samuel approaches the veteran dad, who then opens up about his battle with terminal brain cancer, saying it has been a pain for the last few years. He also shares that he served in the military for four and a half years, including a couple of deployments to Afghanistan, and has been a helicopter gunner. Talking of the treatment, he said:

"I got another brain surgery scheduled for next Wednesday. They saw me in October, and they told me I wouldn't be here in a couple more months. I got a four-month-old baby girl. I got a three-year-old to be here for, and I fight like h*ll to be here every single day for them, man."

When talking about his financial struggles, he says,

"Financially, dude, I can't raise money to save my life. For me to raise $60,000 takes me three or four years to do it. I need more than that. I need a lot more than that."

The video went viral online, helping raise over $244,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to support Casey's cancer treatment.


Viral video helps veteran dad battling terminal cancer get support

The veteran dad also spoke about his biggest dream in Samuel's video, saying that all he wants is to spend as much time as possible with his children. He added that he still has so much he wants to do and refuses to give up, even though doctors have told him he is going to die.

Speaking about his treatment, Casey said there is another treatment option up the road, but he needs to save enough money to afford it. He added that the funds he recently raised helped him get some treatment, but he still needs more money to go back for further care. Samuel also gave the veteran dad $1,000 and offered to share his story with millions of people in the world and set up a fundraiser to help him raise more money. The video ends with Casey getting emotional as the two share a hug.

The fundraiser for Casey, organized by Samuel Weidenhofer and the Retask Foundation, has already raised over $244,000 towards its $250,000 goal.

The description on Casey's GoFundMe page shares that the veteran dad served as a Marine and went on ninety four combat missions in Afghanistan, for which he received three Air Medals. In 2022, Casey's health problems led doctors to find a large tumor in his brain. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer. Since then, he has been through multiple surgeries, but his fight against cancer continues. The page says Casey is paying for treatments not covered by insurance while supporting his wife and kids.

New update by Samuel Weidenhofer (Image via YouTube/@itssozer)
New update by Samuel Weidenhofer (Image via YouTube/@itssozer)

Samuel also shared a recent update on Casey, saying that he has moved to Texas and is making many new memories. He explained that he reposted Casey's video because it was Veterans Day and he wanted to share his story again on the occasion.


Also Read: “Very normal fist pumping, sir”: Aaron Rupar mocks Donald Trump’s fist pump after Veterans Day speech

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Edited by Vatsala Chauhan