16 January 2026

Grandma Uses Minecraft to Pay for Grandson’s Cancer Treatment

By newsgame

An 81-year-old grandma has been using Minecraft as a means to pay for her grandson’s cancer treatment. Ever since its release in 2011, Minecraft has been one of the most culturally significant titles in gaming, and it’s the best-selling video game of all time, with over 350 million copies sold across many platforms. Its success has led to a massive franchise that includes numerous video game spin-offs and a live-action film adaptation, A Minecraft Movie.

Minecraft has also been aided by social media websites such as YouTube and Twitch, with the game notably receiving over one trillion views on the former. It still maintains a standing among the most-viewed games on both sites, attracting millions of views a year even after a decade and a half on the market. Its significance stretches far beyond its standing in the gaming world, with its applications being used as educational tools in fields such as chemistry, computer science, and computer-aided design.

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17-Year-Old Grandson Cancer-Free Thanks to Grandma’s Minecraft YouTube Videos

As reported by GamesRadar, an 81-year-old woman named Sue Jacquot started a YouTube channel called GrammaCrackers and began uploading Minecraft videos on October 22, 2025, to help her 17-year-old grandson, Jack Self. Jacquot had never fancied herself a gamer before last year, but she used Minecraft as a means to connect with her grandson and his brother, Austin Self. She began her YouTube journey just a few months after learning the game, largely to help Jack, who was diagnosed with sarcoma in 2024 and had to undergo over 200 rounds of chemotherapy.

Her first video, titled “The BEST START EVER in Minecraft – Part 1,” racked up upwards of 644,000 views in just under three months on the platform, and GrammaCrackers has gained more than 237,000 subscribers. Each of her videos includes a link to Jack’s GoFundMe page for his cancer treatment, which has currently raised over $44,000 of its $100,000 goal, excluding Jacquot’s YouTube revenue. The family also received a visit from ABC 15, where Jack revealed that he is cancer-free and currently in recovery.

Jacquot’s journey through Minecraft is a phenomenal feel-good story, one that demonstrates gaming’s ability to bring others closer together. An 81-year-old grandmother with minimal prior experience with the medium used Minecraft to connect with her young grandchildren, managing to use it to help him through a very tough time. It’s a reminder that video games are truly for everyone, and that a medium once derided by some as a mere childish hobby is capable of far more than ever imagined.

Self and Jacquot’s story, and the success these YouTube videos have seen, also speaks to the incredibly passionate community that Minecraft has built, and the way that gamers can come together for a greater cause. In just a few short months, the Minecraft fandom uplifted a family in need of help, turning a terrifying situation into a wholesome, beautiful story. It’s yet another indication of the impact that Minecraft has continued to have, even 15 years after its initial release.