Ben Breedlove Died Christmas Day, but Leaves Behind an Awesome Legacy

Stories like this put things in perspective. They also show us that while life can be sad, it can also display huge amounts of hope and courage at the same time. You probably have already heard of Ben Breedlove, the teenager that died Christmas Day from a heart condition known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, which long explanation short, causes the heart muscle to thicken and deteriorate until eventual cardiac arrest and death. Breedlove left behind a two-part YouTube video, telling his story silently through note cards. Even describing his last near-death experience where he was in a white room, wearing a white suit, and rapper Kid Cudi was there. Kid Cudi made a statement after this hit the news, which is pretty rad:

"I am so sad about Ben Breedlove. I watched the video he left for the world to see, and him seeing me in detail, in his vision really warmed my heart. I broke down, I am to tears because I hate how life is so unfair. This has really touched my heart in a way I can't describe, this is why I do what I do. Why I write my life, and why I love you all so much. Life is really f---ed up sometimes, but I know Ben is at Peace, and I hope he gets a chance to sit and talk with my Dad. We love you Ben. Forever. Thank you for loving me. To Ben's family, you raised a real hero, he's definitely mine. You have my love."

I'm also posting a pretty cool clip from the Today Show on my website about Ben and his life, because it turns out this kid was a bit of a YouTube sensation before his death, too. Quite the cutie patootie, and definitely lived life to its fullest for the short time he had here. And if you don't cry, you are a heartless lizard person.