The Brave Light of Zuza Beine: A Life Documented, A Legacy of Gratitude

 

On September 23, 2025, social media and the health-aware community at large were struck by heartbreaking news: 14-year-old influencer Zuza Beine passed away after an 11-year struggle with acute myeloid leukemia. 

A Life Shared Publicly

From as young as age 3½, Zuza (sometimes portrayed online under her handle “zuzas_way_to_healing”) was open about her diagnosis. 

 She didn’t hide her journey behind muted posts or silence — instead, she embraced transparency. Over the years, Zuza shared with her 1.8 million Instagram followers and 1.7 million on TikTok the highs and lows of living with cancer. 

Her content revealed both the medical and personal sides of her life: the hair loss, the side effects of chemotherapy, the struggle with taste changes, and also the moments of joy, gratitude, and hope that she clung to. 

 Because of this vulnerability and authenticity, Zuza became more than just an “influencer” — to many, she was an emblem of resilience.

Her Courageous Journey

Zuza’s battle with leukemia was grueling. Over her short life, she survived cancer five separate times and underwent three bone marrow transplants. 

 Each episode of recurrence meant more treatments, more uncertainty, and more emotional weight — yet she continued sharing. She was a member of Glow House, a collective of young content creators, where her presence and voice resonated deeply. 

In the final days before she passed, Zuza posted what would become her last video: titled “Be grateful for the little things.” 

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 In that video, she listed moments and simple pleasures she still cherished: being able to taste delicious food, being able to try different hairstyles, small daily freedoms many take for granted. 

 The poignancy of that message — shared while in pain — struck a chord across communities.

Her family’s announcement of her passing acknowledged the deep impact she had on their lives and the lives of so many. “Her being changed us forever, and her dying will too,” they wrote. 

 They also noted that her final video seemed almost prophetic: a testament not only to suffering, but to the beauty she still found in everyday life. 

What We Can Learn & Remember

Zuza’s story is painful, inspiring, and deeply human. Here are a few reflections we might carry forward:

Vulnerability has power. By sharing her illness, Zuza removed taboos, gave voice to fellow young patients, and showed that illness does not invalidate dreams or identity.

Gratitude is radical. Even amid suffering, her message was not denial, but choosing to see what still remains — a lesson in compassion, resilience, and humility.

Legacies are not defined by length, but by meaning. Fourteen years may seem too short; yet Zuza’s life touched millions, encouraged connection, and elevated awareness about childhood cancer.

Let her story fuel action. For fans who want to honor her memory, her family asked that donations go toward her late uncle’s family, showing that even in her final phase, she was thinking of others.