An 81-year-old grandmother has used Minecraft as a way to pay for her grandson's cancer treatment. Ever since its release in 2011, Minecraft has been one of the most culturally significant titles in gaming, and it is the best-selling video game of all time, with over 350 million copies sold across multiple platforms. Its success has spawned a massive franchise that includes numerous video game spin-offs and a live-action film adaptation, A Minecraft movie.
Minecraft has also been aided by social media sites such as YouTube and Twitch, with the game notably receiving over a trillion views on the former. It still ranks among the most viewed games on both sites, attracting millions of views a year even after a decade and a half on the market. Its importance extends far beyond its position in the gaming world, with its applications being used as educational tools in fields such as chemistry, computer science and computer-aided design.
Minecraft Player shows off a glorious building of the Stranger Things Hawkins National Laboratory
A talented online Minecraft player recreates Hawkins National Laboratory from Stranger Things in the game.
17-year-old grandson cancer-free thanks to grandma's Minecraft YouTube videos
As reported by GamesRadar, an 81-year-old woman named Sue Jacquot started a YouTube channel called GrammaCrackers and began uploading Minecraft videos on October 22, 2025 to help her 17-year-old grandson, Jack Self. Jacquot had never envisioned a player before last year, but she used Minecraft as a way to connect with her grandson and his brother, Austin Self. She began her YouTube journey just months after learning the game, largely to help Jack, who was diagnosed with sarcoma in 2024 and had to undergo over 200 rounds of chemotherapy.
Her first video, titled “The BEST START EVER in Minecraft – Part 1”, received upwards of 644,000 views in just under three months on the platform, and GrammaCrackers has gained more than 237,000 subscribers. Each of her videos includes a link to Jacquot's GoFundMe page for his cancer treatment, which has currently raised over $44,000 of its $100,000 goal, not including Jacquot's YouTube earnings. The family was also visited by ABC 15, where Jack revealed that he is cancer-free and currently on the road to recovery.
Jacquot's journey through Minecraft is a phenomenal feel-good story, one that demonstrates the game's ability to bring others closer together. An 81-year-old grandmother with minimal previous experience with the medium being used Minecraft to connect with his young grandchildren and manages to use that to help him through a very tough time. It's a reminder that video games really are for everyone, and that a medium once derided by some as a mere childish hobby is capable of much more than ever imagined.
Jaget and Jacquot's story, and the success these YouTube videos have seen, also speaks to the incredibly passionate community that Minecraft has built, and the way players can come together for a greater cause. In just a few short months it has Minecraft fandom lifted up a family in need and turned a terrifying situation into a wholesome, beautiful story. That's another indication of the effect it has Minecraft has continued to have, even 15 years after the first release.
- Released
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November 18, 2011
- ESRB
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E10+ for all 10+ due to fantasy violence
Source: GamesRadar, ABC 15
