Crafting YouTuber Melanie Ham Dies At 36 After Battling A Rare Type Of Cancer
YouTuber Melanie Ham, known for her crafting videos, died at age 36.
She had been battling a rare type of cancer for months.
Her husband, Robert, shared the news on Instagram and invited followers to attend a celebration of her life.
Crafting YouTuber Melanie Ham has died at age 36 after battling a rare type of cancer. Her husband, Robert, shared the news with Ham's followers on her Instagram account.
"It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness I share the news of the passing of my sweet, amazing, beautiful wife Melanie," he wrote. "Over the past few months things have been progressively getting worse and we’re thankful that we made it to this point through the holidays and tried to make every moment count. We are short 9 days of our 16 year anniversary."
"Let me reassure all those rooting for us, Melanie fought like a warrior queen," Robert continued. "Despite the deep grief my family and I feel today we want to celebrate an amazing woman and a life well-lived. She loved passionately, created beautifully, provided abundantly and was my best friend all the way to the end."
"She can now walk, and sing, and dance in a way her body did not allow over the last few months," Robert added. "She was so loved."
"Peace and love to you all, hug those you love today, put up a toast of Bourbon (her favorite, that she hasn’t partaken in during her journey) and say a prayer for my beautiful, strong children," the caption finished.
In May 2020, Ham revealed that she had been diagnosed with epithelioid angiomyolipoma. It's a rare subtype of cancer that isn't usually deadly, one study confirmed. The disease is a kind of sarcoma cancer, which can attack either bones or soft tissue, according to Hopkins Medicine.
The condition "behaves differently than a typical cancer which is why it was so unpredictable," Ham shared in a blog post. In another post, she explained that, even after surgery, the cancer became aggressive and was continuing to spread.
"The next few weeks were a really scary time," she wrote. "The next best option was to try and get things under control, so we immediately started a harsher chemo regimen. So in June, I started a drug combo that made my hair fall out and have some of the 'chemo' side effects I had so far been able to avoid. That was a really hard moment for me."
"We’re always trying to stay optimistic that this will be the treatment that works, but the truth is there is no clear path on how to battle this, so we’re just gonna keep fighting," she added.
Ham's over 800,000 subscribers enjoyed her crafting videos, which range from DIY crochet, knitting, and sewing tutorials to tips and tricks for using leftover materials. Her last video was uploaded in April 2021.
A celebration of Ham's life will be held on Jan. 29, Robert shared. Colorful attire is encouraged.
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