Danny Go Finds Strength in Helping Kids Heal

Kids' sensation Danny Go spoke about 'helping children through painful situations' in a heartbreaking interview three weeks before his son Isaac's death.

Last month, Isaac passed away at the age of 14 following a battle with aggressive and suffering rare genetic disorder Fanconi anemia.

The star, real name Daniel Coleman, took to Instagram to announce the news, writing: ''You truly had a spark like no other, Isaac!... Being your dad was the honor of a lifetime. I'm so proud of you and I love you forever. Rest peacefully, son.'

Speaking to Time prior to Isaac's passing, Daniel, who launched his YouTube channel in 2019, detailed the struggles of creating content but said he wants to help struggling children and families but following his passing debated giving up. 

He said: 'There's the other side of doing kids content, when your kid is not healthy, that is difficult. I don't know how things will go over the next few months to be honest.

'But I want to believe that there's enough light on the other side—especially just seeing how much this show means to not just kids, but families that are experiencing painful situations.'

Following Isaac's death, he mused over whether he could continue to make the content inspired by his son, saying: 'It's hard to know what to do right now. I’m not working on Danny Go! really. I don't really want to for a little bit....

'Am I going to want to run away from kids' stuff, or am I going to be doubly motivated?I don't know what the future looks like....

'I'm proud of what we've built and I think that there's very few things that I could go and do with my life that would probably have more meaning.'

Daniel and his co-stars - high school friends and former bandmates—make musical children's content and have amassed 4.8m YouTube subscribers and a Netflix deal.

While enjoying his incredible success, Daniel and his wife Mindy, who are also parents to son Levi, 10, have been battling in the background with Isaac's health.

Fanconi anemia is a rare, inherited genetic disorder that leads to progressive bone marrow failure (aplastic anemia), physical abnormalities, and a significantly increased risk of developing cancers like leukemia and solid tumor. 

The condition makes certain cancers highly probable and in December, Daniel took to his Instagram to share the news that Isaac had been diagnosed and said they 'knew the day was coming' due to the ties between cancer and Fanconi anemia.

The family opted against radiotherapy and instead moved to hospice care 'to make each day as enjoyable and restful as possible'.

In December, Daniel took to his Instagram page to share the news with his followers that Isaac had been diagnosed and said they 'knew the day was coming' due to the ties between cancer and Fanconi anemia.

In the post, he wrote: 'Family update time! I don’t do much personal sharing anymore as the kids show has grown, just to protect our peace a little bit...

'But we do have some big news related to Isaac and wanted to share with those that have followed along with him over the last 14 years. First, though, here’s some happy pics of our recent trip to the UK! We haven’t gotten to have a true family vacation in years & we had such a lovely time...

'Okay, now the bad news…we found out last week that Isaac has cancer in his mouth. TBH, we always knew this day was coming, as it’s a near certainty w/ Fanconi anemia...

'But it’s definitely hitting a little earlier than we hoped and is still just such a shocking thing to hear about your child, even if you’ve braced for it for years. Been getting lots of scans and we’re not sure yet how much it’s spread...

'But for now, the plan is to try and remove the cancer surgically asap. We’ve done chemo before with Isaac’s bone marrow transplant, but it’s a much less ideal path due to his genetic disorder and the damage radiation does to the rest of his body....

'So our hope is that we’re early enough to cut it all out. The location of the cancer will require some pretty extensive surgery and potential bone work, so we’re not sure yet what recovery will look like. But we’re anxious to get it done fast, so surgery will likely be in the next couple of weeks....

'During the scans this week, we also discovered some brain spots forming that indicate potential degenerative nerve issues...

'It coincides with some mobility issues we’ve been noticing lately, so that’s another can of worms that could have a pretty big impact on him soon. But for now, we’re taking it a step at a time and addressing the cancer aggressively...

'All of this is obviously very heavy on Mindy and I, especially around the holidays. And I’m not sure yet what next year will look like for us. But I am SO grateful that we were able to take an international trip together as a family before it all happened.'