Hockey player with famous TikTok bucket list dies of cancer. ‘Definition of strong’
An 18-year-old hockey player known for his bucket list and positive attitude has died, his family told thousands of followers.
Harrison Gilks, who lived in Douglas, New Brunswick, in Canada, “touched the lives of many with his messages of hope and encouragement through his TikTok videos, where he chronicled and shared his journey with cancer with the world,” his family wrote in his obituary after he died on March 30.
Gilks first posted on TikTok about his terminal cancer on June 29. He was in remission for some time and it returned, he said in his video. It was that day Gilks launched his bucket list series and took millions along for the ride over the next months.
Warning: The following videos in this article contain explicit language.
The series included Gilks meeting people and going to places he dreamed of — meeting Luke Combs, flying an airplane, seeing a Los Angeles Rams football game, meeting the Montreal Canadiens, traveling to New York and Mexico, and more.
One of the more challenging parts of his cancer diagnosis was not being able to play sports, Harrison’s father, Trevor Gilks, told CBC. Gilks’ dad said the support Harrison got through TikTok — emotionally and also financially — was stunning.
“It’s like a whole community looked after making this possible. That’s what chokes me up the most, having strangers wanting to be a part of it,” Trevor Gilks told CBC. “Until this we were pretty private and stubborn. We wanted to do everything on our own. But it was quite remarkable to watch people step up.”
According to his obituary, Harrison Gilks spent his time playing hockey and softball, jet skiing, mountain biking and hunting.
“He vowed to get as many ‘bucket list’ adventures as he could with the time he had left,” his family said in his obituary. “He was determined not to let cancer get in his way. But after nearly two and a half years of a hard-fought battle, knowing he did as much as he could, knowing he was loved and strong, he said goodbye.”
Gilks’ last video was him in the hospital following a trip to Mexico. He stayed relentlessly positive but transparent and told his viewers, eyes closed, there was a slim chance he would be leaving the hospital.
“It’s obviously very upsetting. I wish there was something you guys could do or that I could do or the doctors could do or anybody could do, but there isn’t. That’s just the way she goes. The best thing you guys could do is pray for me … pray for me and my family,” Gilks said.
Another video was posted on Gilks’ TikTok shortly after, and his brother appeared on screen to share the news that Gilks died. It didn’t take long for condolences and memories to flood social media.
“Harry didn’t spend his last months, days, hours or minutes doing nothing, he brought the best out of it. He took bad news and didn’t let it ruin the last moments he had,” one of Gilks’ friends wrote on Facebook. “Harrison is the definition of strong, brave, and determined. … You’ll be missed by many, and I know you’re watching over everyone who touched you in your life.”
Douglas is about 175 miles northeast of Bangor, Maine.
This story was originally published April 4, 2023 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Hockey player with famous TikTok bucket list dies of cancer. ‘Definition of strong’."
