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YouTube star Tony Schnur, aka Thick44 of Neebs Gaming, a gaming channel on the platform, has passed away at 47 after battling cancer for two years. The news was confirmed by the channel in a heartbreaking Twitter post shared on Monday, February 13, 2023.
Neebs Gaming stated:
"It is with heavy hearts that we must inform you that our dearest friend Tony "Thick44" Schnur has left us after fighting valiantly for as long as his body would allow. He passed peacefully with his family by his side."
In June 2022, the YouTuber first revealed his Glioblastoma diagnosis to fans, following which he underwent a successful surgical removal.
Glioblastoma is a type of brain cancer. According to WebMD, it is one of the most common type of brain tumor in adults and is very aggressive, which means it can grow and multiply really fast.
"Completely shocked and gutted": Netizens and the gaming community mourn the loss of Thick44
As the tragic news spread, Twitterati started paying their tributes to the gamer with the hashtag #WyvernKing, which soon began trending on the microblogging platform. Netizens shared their condolences for his family. The gaming community was shocked and left in tears.
They called him amazing and a great source of positive influence on their lives. Many shared their stories of the gamer, while others posted art and screenshots of his logo in his memory. Some even shared the quote "Long Live the Wyvern King" with their tributes.
User @tfvo86v2 stated:
Internet users pointed out Schnur's love for content creation and gaming. One user, @TheCamSteady, described their interaction with the 47-year-old gamer and expressed gratitude to Thick44 for giving them valuable advice as a young adult:
Here are some more responses seen on the social media platforms:
Tony Schnur's cancer came back despite his surgery
In June 2022, Tony Schnur opened up about his battle with cancer and his post-surgery recovery in an Instagram story. He also thanked all those who supported him throughout the journey. Thick44 stated that he had undergone surgery a year ago. He added:
"After surgery, I remember waking up and hearing a voice say “are you ready to play again?” and my immediate response was “yes”. I’ve been very fortunate to be surrounded by such an incredible support system to help get me through this."
However, a few months later, he admitted that the Glioblastoma had returned and spoke about his next steps. Thick44 stated that he required further tumor removal surgery following a high-dosage localized radiation therapy.
Tony's fans and followers hoped for another successful surgery. A later update from Neebs Gaming explained that the 47-year-old was in recovery.
A GoFundMe page that was set up in 2021 to help with Thick44's surgery also provided an update about his condition on January 2, 2023. It stated:
"After a difficult couple of months (and let's face it - year), a Christmas and a New Year's in hospital, Tony is heading home to be with his family."
According to the tweet by Neebs Gaming, any donations to this fundraising campaign would now go to a trust that was set up for Schnur's daughters.
