Italian content creator Damiano Alberti has died at the age of 23, his family said in a statement shared on social media.
“Damiano is free from everything he has experienced. A part of us has flown away forever,” the family wrote.
Alberti, described in media reports as a lifestyle influencer, had documented his illness online after being diagnosed with what was described as a malignant tumour in his leg in 2023. He shared updates on treatment and hospitalisation with followers across multiple platforms, and had continued posting through periods of intensive care.
In the months after disclosing his diagnosis, Alberti published videos and posts detailing his chemotherapy and how his health affected daily life. In 2024 he shared a YouTube video titled “365 Days Later – The Story Of My Illness,” which was described as an account of his diagnosis and the treatment that followed.
In a post published several months before his death, Alberti told followers he would be forced to pause some of his live content due to being admitted to hospital. “Hi, unfortunately I find myself having to make this post because in the coming days I’ll be hospitalized and therefore I won’t be able to do live streams, something I’ve recently been doing with a lot of commitment and dedication,” he wrote.
He added that he did not want the break to be misunderstood. “I’m making this post because I want to clarify that this break is forced for me and that I have all the desire in the world to keep making and creating content,” he wrote. “In the coming days, videos will still be posted on my profiles, but since I’ll be in the hospital, I won’t be able to go live on Twitch. I can’t wait to come back.”
According to reporting that cited his online posts and videos, Alberti had spoken openly about the mental strain of prolonged illness and worsening medical news. In one update cited by People, he said: “I had become, let’s say, a morbid person with no goals, nothing of my own to pursue.”
Those close to Alberti, along with followers who had watched his updates, posted tributes after news of his death. In comments quoted by People, Italian content creator Jody Cecchetto wrote: “You taught me so much little brother ❤️” and TikTok creator Samara Tramontana posted: “❤️🩹a huge hug,” while Alberti’s brother Federico wrote: “Thank you all for allowing my brother to live part of his big dream ❤️”.
On JOE’s Facebook post linking to its report, readers also left messages mourning Alberti and reflecting on the impact of his online presence. One comment quoted in the article read: “You’ve taught me a lot brother.” Another said: “This makes me so sad. I wish it were not true.”
Alberti’s rise as a creator was tied closely to the way he communicated directly to followers, using a candid style that mixed everyday lifestyle content with the realities of hospital appointments, treatment cycles, and the uncertainty of a serious diagnosis at a young age. Media reports described him as building an engaged community over time, with People reporting that his combined following across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitch exceeded 75,000.
In the days after telling followers he would be hospitalised and unable to livestream, Alberti posted another update indicating a further setback and return to hospital, according to JOE’s report. The outlet said he told followers it “is time to get back on track and always look ahead”.
The family statement announcing his death also included thanks directed at those who had supported him, according to People’s report, which said the family thanked followers for “always supporting and respecting him” and that, in their words, “He loved his entire community and was proud of what he had managed to build.”
Alberti’s death has prompted a wave of reaction among followers and other creators who had tracked his condition and watched him continue to post while seriously ill. While many public messages focused on grief, others highlighted the way Alberti had used social media not only to share content but to describe, in his own words, how his outlook changed as his health declined and his ability to work, socialise and create became increasingly restricted.
For creators who share their lives online, serious illness can quickly become part of the content itself, and Alberti’s case was notable for the degree to which he appeared to frame his updates as both personal communication and a way to maintain the routine of creation even when he was physically unable to keep pace. In the post quoted by JOE, he emphasised that his absence from livestreams was not a loss of interest but the reality of being admitted for care.
The announcement of his death brings to an end an online journey that, by his family’s account, was defined by the community he had built and the support he drew from it. The quotes published from relatives and friends suggest that, alongside treatment and recovery efforts, Alberti’s identity as a creator remained central through the final stages of his illness.
His family’s statement did not provide further medical details, and media reports focused primarily on his earlier diagnosis, his public updates, and the responses posted by those who followed his story.
