Getty Derek Hough
“Dancing With the Stars” pro-turned-judge Derek Hough has made an impassioned plea to his fans — and they responded with an outpouring of support.
Here is what is happening and how you can help:
One of Derek’s Stagehands Just Found Out He Has Stage 4 Cancer
On Derek’s Instagram stories, the professional dancer revealed that one of the stagehands who has been working on his Las Vegas residency show just found out that he has stage 4 cancer. The man’s name is Brian Julien. Derek does not get into details about what kind of cancer it is, but stage 4 is the final stage. It means the cancer is spreading to other organs or parts of the body, according to Cancer.net.
Derek said in his emotional video:
Hey, everybody. I just want to share a story with you all. One of our stagehands here at our show in Las Vegas unfortunately got the terrible news that he has stage 4 cancer — and he has still showed up to work every day with a smile on his face and it’s a tough time.
Derek went on to say that Brian is “the most beautiful spirit, beautiful soul” and he needs help right now.
Derek Pledged to Match Whatever is Donated
Derek then linked to a GoFundMe page for Brian and pledged to match whatever is raised there with his own money.
“If you are able to, if you feel it, then please donate if you can and I will match whatever is raised to help our guy, Brian … I appreciate all you guys’ love and just always following us on this journey and hopefully we can help out of our boy Brian,” said Derek.
On the GoFundMe page, Brian’s wife Abbie wrote that they want to help Brian “become a cancer survivor and not one of its victims.”
It also said that Brian shares his birthday with his 13-year-old son, Caleb and that this year on their birthday, they found out about Brian’s cancer.
The site also detailed what Brian is currently facing:
Brian is limited to what he can do for work, and with every delay, the cancer is growing and spreading. We are trying to raise money to bypass these unnecessary hurdles and help to cover the upcoming medical expenses. Once the surgery is completed, he will still have months of recovery and ongoing treatments. This added stress makes it harder to stay positive, which is needed to beat this disease. The world needs Brian to be healthy so he can continue helping others and spreading love and kindness.
“Everything that is received is a blessing, and we thank you in advance. Please keep Brian and his family in your prayers, and thank you so much,” the page reads.
It Only Took a Few Hours to Meet the $10,000 Goal
In a follow-up video, Derek was fighting back tears as he thanked his fans for their generosity because it only took a few hours to reach the GoFundMe goal.
“I just want to say thank you so much from the bottom of my heart,” said Derek. “Just a few hours ago, we posted about Brian, our stagehand, who has stage 4 cancer. He just found out. And he has a GoFundMe page and only within a few hours, because of you, because of your generosity, because of your grace, he has reached that $10,000 and I’m going to match that $10,000, but keep donating if you can. Keep giving. I know this is a very expensive and a very difficult thing to battle and he is just a beautiful soul, so kind.”
Derek then became very choked up saying that he spoke with Brian after what was his last show working on the residency and Brian was “overwhelmed” with the “love” and “generosity.”
“Thank you, thank you so much,” Derek said to end the video. “Brian, we love you, brother. Tonight was your last show, but we’re gonna see you soon. Love you, man.”
As of this writing, the GoFundMe page has almost doubled its goal. It sits at just under $20,000. In the comments, Abbie thanked Derek and all of his fans, writing, “Our SINCEREST THANKS go out to an amazing, kind and caring man, DEREK HOUGH, and ALL OF HIS AMAZING FANS that have been so incredibly kind! I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom our my heart for your incredible gifts!”
“Dancing With the Stars” returns for its 31st season in fall 2022 on Disney Plus.
READ NEXT: WATCH: Derek Hough & Hayley Erbert Share Their Beautiful Proposal Video