When you're 22 and doctors tell you there's no more treatment left, priorities flip. For one young woman with terminal bone cancer, that meant skipping financial caution and leaning into crab dinners, keepsake gifts, and donations — all on credit she knows she'll never repay.
"I've probably got weeks, maybe a couple months at best," she wrote on Reddit's Confession forum. "So I took out a credit card… and am now buying whatever I want. The debt will die with me, and I give no [cares]." She headed off critics directly: "And if you want to beef me about driving your bank fees up with this behaviour, at least you get to live. Lol"
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Her posts chart the road she's traveled: losing a leg, grueling chemo, a brief return to work, and then the slide when treatment stopped working. With no house, no car, £2,000 ($2,690) in the bank, and a 0% APR card with a £6,500 limit, she decided to spend her remaining time on moments that felt meaningful.
That meant a little indulgence and a lot of love. She bought sentimental gifts for family with her handwriting on them, treated herself to an "awesome" crab at a fancy seafood place, and donated to animal shelters, food banks, and cancer charities that helped her along the way. She also drew a clear boundary on faith: she appreciated prayers but wasn't changing her beliefs.
The crowd response swung mostly supportive — and practical. One commenter urged, "life is too short as it is. yours is shorter live it to the fullest. live as much as you can." Another said, "Go crazy… just make sure your loved ones are insulated and educated from predatory debt collectors." Others pushed riskier tactics like buying gift cards with credit, while a few warned that certain transactions could be clawed back if creditors dispute them later.
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She's betting her credit card debt "dies with her." In most cases, that's how it works. In both the U.K. and the U.S., unsecured debts like credit cards are not inherited. After death, creditors can only seek payment from the estate, such as cash, property, and investments. If there's nothing there, there's usually nothing to collect. Family members aren't responsible unless they're joint account holders or co‑signers. Authorized users typically aren't liable.
That calculus changes if someone is older or has assets. A home, savings, or investments can be used to settle debts during probate before heirs receive anything. In some states, a spouse in a community property regime may share responsibility for certain debts incurred during the marriage. And while life insurance generally goes straight to the named beneficiary and is usually protected, proceeds can become available to creditors if the estate is the beneficiary or if state law or policy setup pulls it into the estate.
There's also a moral and legal gray area when debt is incurred with no intent to repay. Practically, creditors still have to prove fraud and then find assets — and if the estate is insolvent, there may be little to recover. Ethically, commenters split: many saw a young adult choosing joy and generosity at the end of life; others bristled at tips encouraging evasive tactics.
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Her updates keep circling the same core: make memories, take care of her people, give back where she can, and ignore the noise. She's not tallying APRs — she's counting dinners, donations, and time with family. In her words, when you boil it all down, being surrounded by friends and loved ones "really is all you need."
Legally, her assumption mostly holds if there's no estate for creditors to touch. Ethically, readers will disagree on where the line sits. But her focus is unmistakable: spend what time remains on connection, comfort, and a few unforgettable treats — and let the balances sort themselves out after she's gone.
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