UTICA, Mich. (WXYZ) — Brian Barcyzk has loved animals since he was a kid. He opened ‘The Reptarium’ in Utica six years ago so he could share that love with others.
It’s truly an interactive experience...as I found out firsthand.
“You’re holding a baby sloth. You’re in sloth heaven," he said to me as I was truly having a moment I will always treasure.
The baby sloth was just the beginning.
He also let me hold an albino alligator.
“It’s going to sit like this. Just give him a little bit of a hold there,” Brian gently instructed me. Then he introduced me to an orange-colored bearded dragon and a cow reticulated python.
His reptile zoo in Utica features some 3,000 animals.
His true reptile army? His 17,000,000 fans on social media — where he shares his animal adventures in videos – or “vlogs.”
In this Youtube video, Brian can be seen trying to capture his escaped python. The video has racked up more than 12-million views.
But his latest videos are revealing a much bigger struggle.
“Here it is. It’s not good. It’s pancreatic cancer,” he said in another vlog.
Brian has been open with his followers about his health journey.
"You know, I think that it's two things. Number one, I want to share to inspire others that may be going through something similar. And it's also a little bit of a video diary for us, too,” he said.
Brian was diagnosed on February 27, 2023. It was Stage 2 but quickly became Stage 4 he told me.
Pancreatic cancer is often caught in late stage because the symptoms can be vague.
I asked him what symptom prompted him to go to the doctor.
“The back pain," he replied. "The pain was abdominal, you know, like from stomach to back.”
He lost his hair during chemo treatment. And after exhausting his options, he’s now hoping to enter a clinical trial.
"Why do you think it's important to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer," I asked.
“It's a disease that's one of the most deadly cancers, but yet it's one of the most underfunded cancers because it's not as common,” he said.
The #BrianStrong well wishes from his supporters in metro Detroit and online are lifting his spirits. And he’s keeping very busy.
“Yesterday we constructed a 40-foot-wall of fishtank,” Brian said in a recent Youtube video.
Brian is building his dream – an expansion across the street from The Reptarium. He initially called it the Legacy Aquarium project, but he has since tweaked the title.
“My friend called me one day and said, 'You should name it LegaSea — S-E-A. And I was like, that's perfect. So it did change [for] the play on words,” Brian explained smiling.
He’s hoping to raise enough money to finish the project in early 2024.
“This part of my life is about creating legacy and creating memories, you know, memories for my family and my loved ones and creating legacy for the future,” he said.
If you’d like to support Brian Barczyk’s ‘LegaSea Aquarium,’ click the following link for his GoFundMe.
You can also learn more about pancreatic cancer on www.pancan.org.
The most common symptoms include:
- pain in the abdomen or back
- unexplained weight loss
- jaundice or yellowing of the skin or eyes
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- change in stool
- light-colored stool or dark urine
- new onset diabetes
- blood clots
pancreatitis
But the list goes on. So, if you’re not feeling like yourself, talk with you doctor.
