‘I am dead’: 22-year-old cancer patient’s post after death is viral. He named his tumour 'big guy’

The post attracted one million likes, 86,000 reposts, and more than 300 million views. (AI-generated image)

A scheduled social media post by a 22-year-old Japanese man who died of a rare tumour has gone viral worldwide, drawing millions of reactions and prompting a surge of condolence donations, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

On October 12, Kanaru Nakayama died peacefully after a two-year battle with an aggressive soft tissue tumour on his back. Two days later, his account @nkym7856 published a brief, lighthearted message he had prepared in advance: “I am dead.”

The unadorned line resonated deeply online. The post attracted one million likes, 86,000 reposts, and was viewed more than 300 million times, turning Nakayama into an unlikely symbol of courage and humour in the face of terminal illness.

Online tributes and condolence donations

Many netizens said they were moved by the young man’s optimism. Some donated koden, a funeral offering traditionally given to the deceased’s family, to charities in Nakayama’s name. Others praised his courage.

“You overcame your daily struggle with illness, and finally left this post behind. I have the utmost respect for your way of life,” one user wrote. Another described his approach as “a cool way of facing death”.

One commenter remarked that his massive like count made “his funeral seem like a state funeral by those living in the ocean of the internet”.

Father learns of viral post during funeral 

Nakayama’s father first learned about the viral post when a classmate mentioned it after the funeral. The farmer from Hokkaido, who had always seen his son as quiet and self-contained, found a very different young man online.

The account revealed humour, resilience and warmth. Nakayama had nicknamed his tumour “big guy” and joked about hospital meals, saying he would “try hard to eat it because it looks tasty”. Though diagnosed young, he remained calm around his family.

Nakayama studied agriculture to help his farmer father

Nakayama enrolled as an agriculture major at Hokkaido University in 2023. While he had told his father he joined because it was the best institution, a teacher later revealed he chose the course so he could support the family farm.

Donations surge in his memory

The Japanese Cancer Research Association said it has received more than 2,000 donations, exceeding 10 million yen (close to Rs 60 lakh) as of December 4, all made to honour the young man whose final message continues to comfort strangers and family alike.