Keenan Cahill, the YouTube phenomenon best known for his lip-sync duets with Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and 50 Cent, died on December 29 in Chicago, his family said on his official Facebook page.
The renowned social media personality had open-heart surgery less than two weeks before. While it appeared that he would recover fully, difficulties emerged that led to his death after being removed from life support.
Keenan Cahill Cause of death
Cahill’s latest operation was one of several he suffered after being diagnosed with the autoimmune illness Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome at the age of one. According to MedLine Plus, this unusual ailment “causes various tissues and organs to grow, become inflammatory or scarred, and finally die away,” sometimes resulting in “skeletal deformities.”
“Keenan is an inspiration,” his family said on Facebook, “and let us remember all the material he generated, artists he partnered with, music he made, and the love he had for everyone who supported him throughout the years.”
Cahill’s followers are heartbroken
Cahill, from Illinois, came to the internet’s notice in the 2010s with the lip-sync videos, which now have over 721,000 followers and 500 million views on YouTube. His work rapidly drew the information of musicians such as Perry and 50 Cent, whose collaborations with him led to collaborations with other artists such as Bieber, David Guetta, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Jason Derulo, Jennifer Aniston, Tyra Banks, and many more.
Cahill, who also released original music throughout the years, is recalled by his aunt Katie Owen as someone who “enjoyed what he was doing and brought smiles to the faces of so many people” with his work.
“Thank you to everyone who helped make Keenan’s brief life special,” she said in a note uploaded to a GoFundMe page to help with burial expenses. “All who knew him will miss him.”
While memorial plans have not been publicized, $1,337 of the $10,000 target for the GoFundMe campaign has been raised as of the time of posting.
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