US teen's last videos go viral after his death last Christmas Day

An American high-school teenager with a heart condition died last Christmas Day but not before leaving behind a two-part video that has gone viral on the Internet.   The YouTube videos of Ben Breedlove of Texas had totaled some 2.9 million views as of Friday (Manila time).  CBS News reported that the videos focused on Breedlove's heart ailment.   "He was about 13 months old. We were referred to a cardiologist and they did some tests and found out he has a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy," CBS quoted his mother Deanne as saying.   Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a condition involving a thickening of the heart muscle, and makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood.   In his YouTube video, Ben narrated how he "cheated death" three times, beginning at age 4 and again earlier this month, when paramedics had to revive him at school.   "I'm very proud of him for choosing to be so vulnerable and share something of himself that was so personal," Mrs. Breedlove said.   While he did not speak in the videos, Ben Breedlove conveyed his messages via flash cards.   He died Christmas morning while playing in the backyard with his younger brother.   His family did not see the video until the following day, the CBS News report said.   As of Friday afternoon, the first part got 1.87 million views while the second got 1.29 million views   The CBS News report said Breedlove’s other and earlier videos had offered people his age advice on “everything from dating to the SATs.”   A separate article on CNET said Austin, Texas-based TV station KXAN streamed live footage of Breedlove’s funeral.   It added Breedlove’s family requested that donations in memory of Breedlove be given to Africa New Life Ministries.   CNET quoted Ben’s favorite rapper, Kid Cudi, who Ben mentioned in his video, as saying: “This has really touched my heart in a way I can’t describe, this is why I do what I do...Thank you for loving me. To Ben’s family, you raised a real hero, he’s definitely [sic] mine. You have my love.”  — ELR, GMA News