YOUTUBER Paul Harrell has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 58, as he confirmed in his own video.
The Oregon-based content creator with over 1.13 million subscribers announced the News in a YouTube video titled “I’m dead.”
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“If you’re watching me, I’m dead,” he told his fans in the video recorded on December 20, 2023.
Be Family released the six-minute clip after his death on Tuesday.
In the video, the weapons expert addressed his subscribers while sitting on a log in a forest – the same place from which he told them he had been diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer.
He went on to detail his struggle with health, despite previously assuring fans that his cancer was “caught early” and he would “be here for some time.”
Read more about celebrity deaths
“We noticed it early, but not as early as I thought,” he admitted.
“It spread faster than I thought.
“My time is becoming increasingly limited.”
Harrell revealed that while fans knew he was using crutches after breaking his hip, it was due to his cancer spreading to his bones, causing them to “crumble” and break his hip.
Finally, Harrell expressed his “sincere apologies” to the community he had built on YouTube and admitted that he felt guilty about his sudden passing.
“I had hoped that I could continue in this format for the next 10 or even 15 years,” he said.
If you’re watching me, I’m dead.
Paul Harrel
“Even when I was diagnosed, I hoped we would be here for at least another two or three years, but it turned out to be just a few months.
“I’m sorry. I feel like I’ve let everyone down.”
PAY TRIBUTE
Although Harrell’s role at the Paul Harrell channel has ended, he stated that there are plans for his brother and the rest of the production team to take over.
Symptoms of pancreatic cancer
Symptoms often only appear when the cancer has already progressed and spread to other organs.
- Abdominal pain that spreads to the sides or back.
- Loss of appetite.
- weight loss.
- Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, called jaundice.
- Bright or floating stools.
- Dark colored urine.
- Itching.
- New diagnosis of diabetes or diabetes that is becoming increasingly difficult to control.
- Pain and swelling in an arm or leg, which may be caused by a blood clot.
- Tiredness or weakness.
Source: Mayo Clinic
“I’ve had the great privilege of having Paul in my life and as a friend. He’s a very generous and kind guy and he told the best campfire stories,” said Brad Nelson, Paul’s editor and manager, at the end of the clip.
His brother told viewers that once he and the team had had time to grieve and process Harrell’s death, they would continue to post on the channel and “honor his memory.”
His brother’s only request was that those who wrote posts about the gun activist’s death “keep their personal policy or to force religious beliefs out of them.”
“He will remain an inspiration to us all,” he concluded tearfully.
Harrell shared his knowledge of firearms on his channel, including gun safety, ammunition, reviews, and accurate shooting.
The channel promises viewers “real firearms information for citizens,” as fans have called Harrell the “best firearms instructor.”
Fans flooded the video with comments and took to social media to pay tribute to the weapons expert.
“There is a huge void in the universe right now that cannot be filled,” one wrote.
“He was ‘what you call a professional’ and we will miss him dearly.”
“Paul Harrell is the only person humble enough to apologize for his death. The world would not be the same without him,” wrote another.
“Even beyond the grave, the sense of humor is dark but appropriate. We will miss you, Paul,” said a third.
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