YouTube breakout Nikkie de Jager is back to hosting makeup videos on her NikkieTutorials channel, and her return is bittersweet. She recently lost her younger brother Mikai to lymphatic cancer, but she told her 10 million subscribers her brother was so proud of her online fame.

Nikkie announced Mikai's passing via Twitter on May 24. "You taught me how to live life and live it fiercefully and strong… like you," she wrote. "Thank you for being our biggest blessing. Now you can rest, Mikai, my biggest hero."

The next day, Nikkie said she was focusing on work again. "Today I'm trying to get my mind to editing and uploading my rainbow brows video," she tweeted. "If there's one thing Mikai was way proud of, it was my channel, and he would want me to keep going."

And on June 10, Nikkie uploaded her first video recorded after Mikai's death. "Two and a half years ago, we found out that my little brother had cancer, and it was a long, long battle that he unfortunately, eventually lost," she told her fans. "My little brother Mikai is about the strongest little dude I've ever met in my life … So strong, so inspirational, and so brave. And I just wanna say thank you for giving me the time to be with my family, and to heal, and to get my mind in a better place — because it felt so wrong for me to talk about something as light-hearted as makeup with my brother passing away."

In the wake of this loss, the Dutch makeup maven's followers have mourned alongside her. "My class all had red cancer symbols on our hands for him," wrote YouTube user katelyndosemakeup. "Love you, Nikkie. We will always be here for you."

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"I am so sorry for your loss," added commenter наблюдатель. "He was and always will be a beautiful, strong man. He will always be with you. We are all with you right now."

And YouTuber Rachel Dare said, "You're an incredible, strong human being. Keep doing what you love. Besides, you are incredible at it. I'm sure your brother is so proud of you, wherever he is."

Like all those fans, our thoughts are with Nikkie and her family. And we too believe Mikai would be proud of his big sis!