81-year-old grandma turned to Minecraft to help her grandson fight cancer — it paid off in ways she never imagined
Learning has no age restriction, but for 81-year-old Sue Jacquot, the last thing she expected to learn was how to game and become a YouTube creator. The grandmother, who was introduced to the video game Minecraft by her teenage grandchildren, took an eager interest in learning it. However, when her 17-year-old grandson was diagnosed with cancer, she stepped into becoming a full-time content creator as a gamer under the name "GrammaCrackers." Her channel has since grown to over 100,000 subscribers, as reported by Local 12 on January 14, 2026.
81-year-old Sue Jacquot was first introduced to the video game Minecraft by her grandchildren. She was never keen on learning the game; she wanted to interact with her grandchildren more, which led her to learning how to play it. However, in 2024, her 17-year-old grandson, Jack Self, was diagnosed with cancer and had been undergoing several treatments. That was when Jacquot decided to become a YouTube creator, launching her channel, "GrammaCrackers." The channel was started with the sole intention of helping cover the medical expenses of her grandson's cancer treatment.
When she uploaded her first video, it shot up to more than 500,000 views and gained over 100,000 subscribers. According to reports, viewers donated anywhere between $1 and $5,000. A GoFundMe page was created, which raised nearly $35,000. Jacquot believed that the gaming community had been a big source of encouragement throughout her journey. "Not only do they donate, but they pray," she noted. Self felt grateful for the outpouring of prayers and support his grandmother received. Fortunately, he became cancer-free; however, his grandmother has now found a new passion, thanks to her grandchildren. "It's like stepping into another world," she mentioned.
Jacquot's willingness to learn something new later in life mirrors the story of 81-year-old softball player Nelson Bradbury, who began learning the sport at the age of 69. After playing it for quite a few years, he penned a heartfelt message thanking his team for including him and making him part of the sport. He highlighted the qualities of friendship, team spirit, and encouragement that pushed him further to pursue sports at his "ripe age." His heartfelt note, which was shared online, received huge appreciation from online users.
A 2023 research published by Bárbara-Mariana Gutiérrez-Pérez et al. analyzed 15,902 individuals over the age of 60 who were into video games. The findings revealed that serious video games helped in improving physical health, cognitive function, psychological well-being, and social engagement among elderly participants. While Jacquot may have started the gaming journey as a source of hope for her family, it also led to her being introduced to a supportive gaming community that she now cherishes.
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