An 81-year-old grandmother turned to YouTube and Minecraft to help cover the cost of her grandson’s cancer treatment — and today, he’s cancer-free.
In 2024, Sue Jacquot discovered Minecraft and decided to start a channel called Gramma Crackers, using it as a way to support her grandson, Jack Self, who had been diagnosed with sarcoma. What began as a simple idea quickly took off, with her channel gaining over 150,000 followers and her first video reaching more than half a million views.
Each upload included a link to Jack’s GoFundMe, and donations poured in as viewers rallied behind the family. Jack and his grandma had bonded over the game while he was in the hospital, and her determination to learn impressed everyone around her.
Within just a month, Jacquot’s channel had crossed 100,000 subscribers. According to her grandson Austin, the response was overwhelming, with donations ranging from a few dollars to thousands at a time. The fundraiser reached $35,000, not including the extra support from YouTube revenue.
Jacquot says the kindness from the gaming community made the experience unforgettable, calling it “the most incredible thing.” Her story is part of a growing trend of older gamers finding new audiences online — including seniors competing in esports and building huge followings of their own.
Another well-known example is Skyrim Grandma, who became one of YouTube’s most loved Elder Scrolls creators before eventually stepping away from content creation.