An Austin, Texas, teenager who died on Christmas Day of a heart attack and was a huge fan of Kid Cudi touched the heart of the rapper, according to the Dailly News.
Ben Breedlove, 18, posted two videos on YouTube shortly before his death. In the videos, Breedlove silently told his story through a series of handwritten cards. He suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition marked by the thickening of the heart muscle that makes it hard for the organ to pump blood.
He also relayed some of his most recent near-death experiences, including one in which he was dreaming that he was hanging out with his hero, Kid Cudi:
"Kid Cudi brought me to a glass desk and put his hand on my shoulder," Breedlove wrote in his video farewell. "Right then my favorite song of his came on, 'Mr. Rager.' The part where it said, 'When will the Fantasy end … When will the heaven begin?' And he said, 'Go now.'
"Right then, I woke up and the EMS were performing CPR. I didn't want to leave that place. I wish I never woke up."
Cudi responded to the video, which he said made him "break down" after watching:
"I am so sad about Ben Breedlove," Kid Cudi wrote on his Tumblr blog. "I watched the video he left for the world to see, and him seeing me in detail, in his vision really warmed my heart. I broke down, I am to tears because I hate how life is so unfair. This has really touched my heart in a way I cant describe, this is why I do what I do. Why I write my life, and why I love you all so much.
"Life is really f—-ed up sometimes, but I know Ben is at Peace, and I hope he gets a chance to sit and talk with my Dad. We love you Ben. Forever. Thank you for loving me. To Ben's family, you raised a real hero, he's definitely mine. You have my love," the 27-year-old rapper wrote before signing off with his real name, Scott Mescudi.
A sad story, and our condolences go out to Breedlove's family. It just goes to show you that musicians can have a positive impact on the lives of young people.
Read more at the Daily News.