A popular YouTuber who was considering ending his life by assisted suicide after experiencing chronic health issues has said he “will reassess” following a huge outcry from his fans.
YouTuber Max Gilardi, who has over 2 million subscribers and is known online as hotdiggedydemon, revealed in a livestream that he was considering ending his life by assisted suicide following years of chronic pain.
The YouTuber said that he was pursuing options for ending his life around two years after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, explaining it was “a dialogue I’ve been meaning to have for a while now”.
Gilardi explained that he has symptoms including pain in his joints and muscles, difficulty sleeping, trouble regulating his temperature, brain fog, and difficulty controlling the amount of saliva and mucus he develops.
“In short, I’m sick”, he said, adding, “I’m tired all the time. I spend a lot of my time lying down”.
The YouTuber revealed that financial concerns were also adding to his decision to consider ending his life by assisted suicide after he had built up considerable credit card debt to pay for his medical bills.
Because Gilardi’s condition would not be considered terminal, he would not qualify for assisted suicide in the United States, so he had researched travelling to Switzerland to end his life at an assisted suicide clinic there.
Outpouring of support from fans made Gilardi reconsider
The livestream, which has been viewed over 330,000 times, received over 4,300 comments from his friends and fans, many of whom told him that he should reconsider and that other options are available.
One comment said, “I have had fibromyalgia for over 40 years. I know what it’s like to wake up every day in pain, knowing it likely will never go away. But I beg of you to reconsider, and don’t do anything rash”.
“Life still has so many pleasures to offer, and there are ways of managing the pain”, they added.
Many fans donated money after hearing his announcement, including one person who said, “I know things are bleak, but I really hope you can find treatment and get to a manageable state”.
Fibromyalgia is a treatable condition, with various means available to improve an individual’s quality of life.
Following the response from his fans, Gilardi took to X to say that he was likely “not thinking clearly”, and that he “will reassess” his decision to seek assisted suicide.
The X posts that reveal that Gilardi has seemingly decided to change his mind have been viewed approximately 800,000 times, receiving a total of over 26,000 likes.
Gilardi’s fans rejoiced in response to the news, with one individual saying, “We’re all very happy you’re rethinking through this. Your fans will forever appreciate you for your humor and who you are!”
Many people end their lives by assisted suicide in part due to concerns about the financial implications of treatment
As evidenced in places where assisted suicide or euthanasia are already legal, many people who end their lives by assisted suicide attribute feeling like a burden as one of their reasons. From those who have ended their lives in this way in recent years, 45.3% cited being a burden in Canada in 2023, 42% did so in Oregon in 2024, 51% in Washington in 2023, and 35.2% did so in Western Australia in 2023-24.
In Oregon, 6% of people who ended their lives by assisted suicide or euthanasia in 2024 cited the financial implications of treatment as one of their primary reasons for doing so. In Washington in 2023, the figure was 10%.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “We are pleased to hear that Max Gilardi is reconsidering his decision to seek to end his life by assisted suicide, following an outpouring of care and support from his fans”.
“Gilardi’s case highlights the many reasons people can feel that they are left with no choice but to end their lives, with the financial implications of treatment being a large part of this in many places”.
“We hope that Gilardi can access the treatment he requires, so that he can continue living and have a positive influence on others. Assisted suicide is never the answer”.
