- A reptile influencer from Michigan shared an emotional farewell video
- Brian Barczyk, 54, uploaded the heartbreaking montage while entering hospice care for terminal cancer
- The reptile lover, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year, will leave an aquarium and ‘reptarium’ as his legacy
A famous reptile influencer shared a heartbreaking farewell video with fans as he prepared to be admitted to hospice care due to terminal cancer.
Brian Barczyk, 54, uploaded an emotional 16-minute video for his loyal followers after revealing he will enter hospice care after his inoperable pancreatic cancer worsens.
The reptile enthusiast was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer almost a year ago.
He opens the sad video by welcoming his fans to the vlog for the final time – having done so more than 2,000 times during his time as a reptilian influencer.
“It was an amazing journey that changed my life,” he said in the emotional video.
A famous reptile influencer shared a heartbreaking farewell video with fans as he prepared to enter hospice care due to terminal cancer
Brian Barczyk, 54, uploaded an emotional 16-minute video for his loyal followers after revealing he will enter hospice care after his inoperable pancreatic cancer worsens
He said he loves his ‘reptilian army’ so much.
Barczyk said he is hopeful that his “reptarium” and the LegaSea aquarium in Michigan will preserve his legacy after he dies.
His team will continue to upload reptile-related content for his followers if Barczyk dies, he says.
The 16-minute montage, titled ‘This is Goodbye’, features short clips of career highlights, showcasing what he loves: connecting with reptiles.
“The past year has been difficult with my cancer, with the ups and downs of treatment,” he said. “We really thought we could beat this.”
Barczyk shared the health update with his followers last week, informing them that he would be entering hospice care, but emphasizing that they did not need to worry because he “had Jesus” and would “spend eternity in heaven.”
“I’ll be able to look down on the legacy, I’ll be able to look down on my family and everyone I love. I’m the lucky one,” he told his fans.
“I’m ready, guys. It was a tough year,” he said through tears. “It was so painful, the pain was unbelievable, the disease was unbelievable, the treatment was unbelievable, everything was so bad.”
The reptile enthusiast was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer almost a year ago
He opens the sad video by welcoming his fans to the vlog for the final time – having done so more than 2,000 times during his time as a reptilian influencer.
“It was an amazing journey that changed my life,” he said in the emotional video
Barczyk fans flocked to the comments section to share their reactions to the sad news.
‘Thank you very much for everything you have done. My father had snakes before I was born. I grew up keeping reptiles and recently lost my bearded dragon at the age of 13. You are a legend,” one user commented.
“Dear Brian, I don’t know if you’re reading this, but I’ve been watching you since I was five because I loved reptiles, and now that I’m thirteen, I don’t know what to say. I really enjoyed watching you and all your videos and this hurts my heart so much I can’t even explain it, I think I’ll see you on the other side brother,” said a young fan in a sincere response.