A tech executive battling stage 4 cancer has left a moving message for the world as he moves into hospice care to spend his last days on Earth.
James Butts built an audience on X, formerly Twitter, as the SVP of Product & Design at food delivery service Postmates.
One tweet, shared on Wednesday, Nov. 13, has gone viral as he explains where he is in his medical journey.
Butts first revealed his cancer diagnosis on Instagram in late September 2023. Although he didn’t share what particular cancer he has, multiple posts refer to him battling stage 4 cancer.
He returned to X to reveal that his cancer now has no cure and he’s in his final days.
He wrote: “I’m entering hospice today. Will probably update (e)very [sic] little if at all. But I wanted to say to be kind, be brave, be principled, be an idealist. Most importantly, be a decent human.
“I love that we existed together, in this moment of time.”
He elaborates more in a pair of videos shared on his Instagram Story. “Hello, folks. So I just wanted to give you an update kind of on where I’m at with my health. About a week ago, things took kind of a bad turn and my liver levels … basically, a lot of my blood work came back really bad,” he explains.
“At this point, I don’t have any more options for treatment or anything. So I’m going to be entering hospice.”
Noting his eyes are becoming more jaundiced as his liver function decreases, Butts continues, “I’m driving down to Malibu today, with my family in Chelsea and I’m gonna be joining hospice, or entering hospice, to finish out the rest of my days in comfort and surrounded by people I love.”
Butts makes it clear, “In no way do I think this is a lost battle. If anything, it’s a tie, because when I die, the cancer dies with me. So all we’re gonna do is move forward, right?”
