Keenan Cahill, famous as one of the biggest YouTube of the early 2010s, passes after a lifelong battle with a rare genetic disorder.

keenan-cahill-dies

YouTube star Keenan Cahill has died, as confirmed by his manager, David Graham. Beloved for infectious enthusiasm and collaborative work with some of the biggest names in entertainment, the pop culture icon has passed away at the age of 27. Keenan rose to fame after his lip sync video of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” drew the Queen of Camp’s attention. A year later, Perry met with Cahill, and the pair performed the song together, after which Cahill went on to perform with the likes of Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, and 50 Cent, who recently announced that he will be teaming up with Eli Roth to produce 3 new horror movies.

Keenan was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder at birth and inspired the world with his bravery in the face of lifelong adversity. Mucopolysaccharidosis, or MPS-6, is a condition that affects an estimated 1 in every 25,000 babies born in the US. The YouTube star-turned music producer underwent a bone marrow transplant in 1997 as a means to slow the progression of the disorder, followed by various surgeries throughout his life.

On December 15, 2022, Keenan went in for open-heart surgery. On December 29, the YouTube sensation succumbed to complications thereof. MPS-6 is a progressive and incurable condition that can manifest in a variety of ways, perhaps most critically affecting the organs, particularly the heart. Depending on the severity of the condition, individuals who suffer from it can have a dramatically shortened life expectancy. Cahill can be remembered as perhaps one of the most wholesome and inspirational YouTubers with a career bereft of any major controversy, unlike many others, such as IShowSpeed who recently came under fire for promoting a cryptocurrency scam.

Keenan had a love for gaming – while mostly known for his career on YouTube and more recently for his music, he occasionally shared pictures of his gaming exploits on Instagram. He was apparently a big fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, evidenced by a handful of pictures Sonic Mania peppered among the myriad music-related posts. He, like many other fans of the Blue Blur, expressed his dismay at Sonic Frontiers failure to secure the Players’ Voice Award at The Game Awards 2022 over Twitter as he followed the event.

Cahill’s legacy includes his YouTube channel which he started in 2009, 3 years earlier than MrBeast who recently joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a mod. His channel has over 500 million views and in excess of 700,000 subscribers as of writing, as well as his music – his most recent song “Rain” was released on December 9, less than a week before he was scheduled for surgery. One can only admire the man’s dedication to his craft – while his health degenerated, his passion for creating music never faltered.

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Source: TMZ