Zuza Benie was an influencer on the popular social media platform TikTok. Like many others, she filmed short videos that offered a glimpse into her daily life, including the struggles and hardships she faced in her battle with leukemia.  Over the span of her time on TikTok, she created a good reputation among her millions of followers as a positive role model and someone who always sees the best even in the worst times.

According to Zuza’s self-run Instagram, she was first diagnosed with AML at just 3 years old. AML is a type of cancer that appears in the patient’s blood cells. It leaves the host weak and bruised, especially with the brutal treatment that goes along with it. Zuza had been sharing this journey on her social media accounts, letting her fans see the pain she typically endured living with this sickness.

Despite the hardships that came with this, she had a bright and positive attitude in her videos. In the days leading up to this, she had reported in her GRWM (Get Ready With Me) videos that she had been in lots of pain and was even struggling to walk at times. However, the last video she had posted to her Instagram was a reel saying “being diagnosed with cancer has made me deeply grateful for the everyday things that many people often take for granted,” along with a list of things she was grateful for. She even included her features in the Glow House, a popular TikTok page with similar Gen-Z-oriented influencers, in the list.

On September 23rd, 2025, her family had made a post on her Instagram explaining to her followers that the previous morning, Zuza had passed. 

“She lived 11 of her 14 years with a relentless cancer, yet lived more fully and gratefully than most. Her being changed us forever, and her dying will too.”

Though Zuza is no longer with her growing community of fans, her impact remains with them. Her influence leaves a bold memory of her bravery and resilience, even through her hidden struggles.