“Keep the faith.”
That was the message that YouTube star and “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” author Hank Green received from none other than U.S. President Joe Biden, just a few weeks after Green publicly shared his cancer diagnosis.
On Wednesday, Green tweeted a photo of a letter with the golden presidential seal at the top, signed by Biden.
“I get a lot of graduation announcements this time each year (which is a specific and important joy in my life) so I was initially quite confused when I opened up this one,” Green said in the tweet. “Thanks, Joe.”
The letter from the president was brief, but heartfelt.
“Dear Hank, I am so sorry to hear about the difficult times you are facing,” the letter reads. “While everyone’s battle with cancer is different, Jill and I understand how hard it can be for you and your loved ones.”
Biden’s willingness to fight against cancer is deeply personal. In 2015, his eldest son, Beau, died of an aggressive brain cancer at age 46.
In 2016, President Barack Obama launched a “cancer moonshot” initiative, which then-Vice President Biden took charge of. Biden resurrected the cancer moonshot project in 2022.
The goals of the initiative include cutting cancer death rates in half over the next 25 years, closing gaps in cancer screenings, better understanding and addressing environmental and toxic exposures associated with certain cancers, and reducing the effects of preventable cancers, such as those linked to tobacco and poor nutrition.
“Always know that you are not alone in this fight,” the letter to Green continues. “You are in my prayers. Stay strong, and keep the faith.”
Biden also replied to the tweet Green shared with the photo of the letter.
“Hank, glad you received my letter,” Biden said in a tweet from the official POTUS account. “I meant every word — keep the faith.”
Green revealed his Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis on May 19. The news came in a video posted to the Vlogbrothers channel he shares with his brother, “The Fault in Our Stars” author John Green.
“It seems likely that we caught mine early,” Hank Green explained in a 13-minute video titled “So, I’ve got cancer.”
The science communicator — who co-founded Crash Course, a free educational resource and YouTube channel used in classrooms around the United States — also explained what kind of cancer he had been diagnosed with and how treatment would work.
“It’s a cancer of the lymphatic system,” Green said. “And good news is, something called Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It’s…like one of the most treatable cancers. It responds very well to treatment. The goal is cure. The procedure to get there is fairly well known, if unpleasant.”
His treatment includes at least four months of chemotherapy, he said.
After announcing the news, Green received thousands of supportive messages from friends and fans on social media, some of which included recommendations for easy, no-bummer shows to watch during his treatment period, per Green’s request.
Those same devoted fans, who call themselves “Nerdfighters,” also sent him a number of pelican gifs when Green tweeted “SEND ME PELICANS IM GETTING CHEMO.”
