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GRATEFUL. A WAUKESHA TEEN INSPIRING MILLIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PASSED AWAY FROM CANCER THIS WEEK. ZUZA BINEY BATTLED FOR 11 OF HER 14 YEARS OF HER LIFE AND AS 12 NEWS REPORTS, SHE DID IT WITH A GRACE AND COMPASSION THAT REALLY GAVE PEOPLE HOPE. SWEET HONEY BEE AND IF I WAS A TREE GROWING ZOZIBINI. LIKE MANY 14 YEAR OLD GIRLS, LOVED CLOTHES. LOVE SKINCARE. THESE ARE LITERALLY LIKE MY FAVORITE SKINCARE PRODUCT EVER. LOVED TAYLOR SWIFT. SWIFT. I LOVE YOU, BUT SPEND A FEW SECONDS SCROLLING THE WAUKESHA TEENS SOCIAL MEDIA. GET READY WITH ME WHILE I TELL YOU MY CANCER JOURNEY AND YOU’LL SEE THE STRUGGLE SHE SO BRAVELY SHARED WITH THE WORLD. AT JUST THREE YEARS OLD, ZUZA WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA, WHICH IS A BLOOD CANCER THAT IS MOST COMMONLY FOUND IN OLDER PEOPLE. YOU’RE NOT ABLE TO GO AND HAVE PLAYDATES, AND YOU’RE NOT ABLE TO GO TO THE MALL. THIS PLATFORM IN HER REACH FILLED THAT FOR HER. HER GODMOTHER, ELLEN MENEFEE, WATCHED AS ZUZA, IN SPITE OF HER ILLNESS, GREW RESILIENT AND STRONG. HER FOLLOWING GREW TO WITH MILLIONS OF SUPPORTERS ON TIKTOK AND INSTAGRAM. I DIDN’T DO MUCH TODAY BESIDES GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR CHEMO. HER FAMILY’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF SOUSA’S PASSING TUESDAY HEARTBREAKING FOR THE ONLINE COMMUNITY THAT CALLED HER A FRIEND. SHE TOOK HER FOLLOWERS ON THAT JOURNEY. AND SHE SHARED THE INCREDIBLE MOMENTS OF TRIUMPH. AND SHE SHARED THE RAW MOMENTS. HOW RARE IS THAT COURAGE AT SOMEONE HER AGE NOW? I. I DON’T I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T KNOW ANOTHER 14 YEAR OLD LIKE ZUZA, I NEVER WILL. THE LESSONS THAT SHE TAUGHT US AND TAUGHT ADULTS TAUGHT HER FOLLOWERS HER PLATFORM, THEY’RE LESSONS THAT EVEN, YOU KNOW, MANY OF US DON’T. WE HAVEN’T FIGURED OUT OURSELVES. HER FAMILY FORCED TO FIGURE OUT THIS NEW WORLD WITHOUT ZUZA, LOOKS BACK ON THE DOZENS OF VIDEOS WHERE SHE’S LAUGHING, SMILING AND LIVING. THAT’S THE LESSON. PERHAPS ZUZA LEFT BEHIND. SHE NEVER FOCUSED ON HER DYING. SHE WAS WAY TOO BUSY LIVING, AND SUPPORTERS HAVE STARTED A GOFUNDME TO HELP THE FAMILY PAY FOR THE MANY MEDICAL BILLS AND FUNERAL COSTS. WE’LL HAVE THAT LINKED ON THE 12 NEWS APP. AND I ASKED ELLEN WHAT LESSONS ZUZA WOULD WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM HER SOCIAL MEDIA. SHE SAYS ABOVE ALL, BE KIND AND BE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE HARDSHIPS ENDURED. ELLEN SAYS THAT SHE WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE LIFE SHE HAD. JUST SUCH A POWERFU
Teen Zuza Beine, who inspired millions on social media, dies after long cancer battle
Zuza Beine, a 14-year-old from Wisconsin, bravely shared her cancer journey on TikTok and Instagram to millions of followers
Updated: 10:07 AM PDT Sep 26, 2025
Zuza Beine, a 14-year-old from Waukesha, Wisconsin, who inspired millions by sharing her cancer journey on social media, passed away this week after battling the disease for most of her life.Zuza, like many 14-year-old girls, loved clothes, skincare, and Taylor Swift. But spend a few seconds scrolling through her social media, and you’ll see the struggle she bravely shared with the world. Zuza was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at just 3 years old. AML is a blood cancer, more commonly found in adults. Her TikTok account, with 2.8 million followers, has videos that range from her trying new skincare products to viral “get ready with me” videos where she dives into explaining her cancer journey. “You’re not able to go have play dates. You’re not able to go to the mall,” said Ellen Menefee, Zuza’s godmother. “This platform and her reach filled that for her.”Menefee said Zuza’s online presence and friends online often filled the void left by her illness. Despite her illness, Zuza grew resilient and strong, amassing millions of supporters on TikTok and Instagram. Her family’s announcement of her passing on Tuesday was heartbreaking for the online community that considered her a friend.”She took her followers on that journey. And she shared the incredible moments of triumph, and she shared the raw moments,” Menefee said.Zuza’s followers cheered her on through her many treatments and multiple bone marrow transplants. But Menefee said Zuza did have to build a thick skin against the unkind parts of social media, too.”I don’t, don’t know another 14-year-old like Zuza. I never will,” she said. “The lessons that she taught us. Taught adults, taught her followers, her platform — they’re lessons that many of us haven’t figured out ourselves.”Zuza’s family is now cherishing the videos where she is laughing, smiling, and living. “She never focused on her dying. She was way too busy living,” Menefee said. Supporters have started a GoFundMe to help with medical bills and funeral costs.
Zuza Beine, a 14-year-old from Waukesha, Wisconsin, who inspired millions by sharing her cancer journey on social media, passed away this week after battling the disease for most of her life.
Zuza, like many 14-year-old girls, loved clothes, skincare, and Taylor Swift. But spend a few seconds scrolling through her social media, and you’ll see the struggle she bravely shared with the world.
Zuza was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at just 3 years old. AML is a blood cancer, more commonly found in adults. Her TikTok account, with 2.8 million followers, has videos that range from her trying new skincare products to viral “get ready with me” videos where she dives into explaining her cancer journey.
“You’re not able to go have play dates. You’re not able to go to the mall,” said Ellen Menefee, Zuza’s godmother. “This platform and her reach filled that for her.”
Menefee said Zuza’s online presence and friends online often filled the void left by her illness. Despite her illness, Zuza grew resilient and strong, amassing millions of supporters on TikTok and Instagram. Her family’s announcement of her passing on Tuesday was heartbreaking for the online community that considered her a friend.
“She took her followers on that journey. And she shared the incredible moments of triumph, and she shared the raw moments,” Menefee said.
Zuza’s followers cheered her on through her many treatments and multiple bone marrow transplants. But Menefee said Zuza did have to build a thick skin against the unkind parts of social media, too.
“I don’t, don’t know another 14-year-old like Zuza. I never will,” she said. “The lessons that she taught us. Taught adults, taught her followers, her platform — they’re lessons that many of us haven’t figured out ourselves.”
Zuza’s family is now cherishing the videos where she is laughing, smiling, and living.
“She never focused on her dying. She was way too busy living,” Menefee said.
Supporters have started a GoFundMe to help with medical bills and funeral costs.
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