Brandon Buckingham’s Health Battle and the Life He Built Online; “I’m Really Afraid I’m Going to Die”

Brandon Buckingham isn’t some faceless internet algorithm. He’s a creator, a YouTuber, an interviewer, a guy who went from teaching art in elementary school to hosting The Buckingham Show, a channel that’s built a following around raw, in-the-streets style videos and commentary.

His content has ranged from underground culture to socially charged topics. Think documentary vibes mixed with unfiltered street moments. That’s part of why he’s drawn in over 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube, plus tens of thousands more on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

He’s built a community, not the polished influencer kind, but the kind where people feel like they know him.

And Then… The Health Crisis Hit

This is the tough part. Really tough.

In late October and into November 2025, Brandon’s health took a sudden and dramatic turn. What started as symptoms he first tried to shrug off turned into something so serious that he didn’t just end up in the hospital; he ended up in the ICU with multiple organs failing.

On November 21, 2025, he posted on X:

“In the ICU, my heart is failing, my lungs are failing, my liver and kidneys are failing. Things are not looking good, my friends. I love you guys.”

Doctors told him he might be dealing with tuberculosis, septic pneumonia, and/or liver failure, though the full picture is still unclear.

And it got worse. In interviews from his hospital bed, Brandon shared that his heart’s pumping was severely impaired. Doctors measured his ejection fraction at only 15–20%, a level typically associated with severe heart failure.

He said:

“I’m really afraid I’m going to die.”

That hits you in the chest. I mean, you can almost hear the fear in that sentence.

He also spoke about his family, about his 11-month-old daughter, the fact that he might never provide for them the way he has before, and that recovery is going to take months (if not more).

And yeah… he admitted he needed help.

He set up a GoFundMe to cover his medical bills and support his wife and child, and the internet responded.

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His Career and How He Got Here

Brandon’s path wasn’t all smooth

• Started with a master’s degree and a job he didn’t love.
• Quit making videos full time.
• Built a voice that wasn’t afraid to chase gritty, edgy topics.
• Collaborated with other creators and built a real audience.

Some folks watch his content and say they love his raw approach. Others criticize it. That’s the internet for you, can’t have one without the other.

But one thing that’s consistent? He’s authentic. He doesn’t feel like a corporate puppet. That’s a big reason why fans are really feeling this moment.

Fans & Followers Reacted

When his health updates started circulating:

• Fans flooded his feed with prayers.
• Stories popped up from people saying how his videos helped them.
• Strangers shared their own ICU survival tales in threads

One commenter said, “I was septic and in a coma for 6 weeks… keep the faith.”

Another said, “May the Lord heal your health.”

There’s always noise online, but a lot of people are genuinely rooting for him. There’s a community whispering prayers, sharing love, and hoping he pulls through.

He Surpassed his Goals on GoFundMe

Buckingham wrote in a GoFundMe that “I will need help with things like my mortgage, utilities, baby supplies, and the over 100k in medical bill debt I have racked up while dealing with this nightmare. I also will likely need to be on heart medication the rest of my life.”

Amazingly, people turned out in large numbers. He has been able to get over $296,000, surpassing his initial goal of $75,000. Many donated hundreds of thousands, with figures like MrBeast reportedly chipping in $10,000. Buckingham tells PEOPLE he was humbled by the turnout and feels blessed and lucky to be alive. “If things were to be negative and end off negatively, what a blessing to see how much the world cares about me, you know? But God willing, that’s not going to happen,” he said.

There’s More to The Story…

Like anyone with a public life, there are fragments of past struggles, people talking about his mental health, his grief after losing his grandmother, times he hasn’t been “in a good place.”

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So What’s Happening Now?

Right now, medically, he’s still fighting. There’s no clean update that says “he’s out of danger.” He’s in a long fight, with a huge recovery road ahead, and with financial and emotional mountains to climb.

But here’s the thing: When someone puts their real self out into the world, heart, humor, flaws and all, people show up for them.

And right now? People are showing up for Brandon.