‘The Ranch’ Actor Jim Beaver Reveals Latest Update on Niece With Brain Cancer

The Ranch‘s Jim Beaver has been posting about his niece’s battle against brain cancer for several months now, and on Tuesday he got to give his fans a very positive update.

Beaver plays Chuck in the Netflix Original Series, and the role has helped him engage a considerable fan base on social media. Starting in November, Beaver mobilized his followers in the hopes of helping his 16-year-old niece, Kira in her struggle with brain cancer.

On Tuesday, all that posting and signal-boosting paid off. Beaver shared a Facebook post with some optimistic news on Kira’s condition.

“Kira just finished her 9th treatment,” it read. “Still a little groggy but doing pretty good. Her tumor (circled below) shows steady improvement. The less white and the more grey / dark grey, the better.”

“It’s difficult to see the difference but it’s there and as the docs always say… the most important indication is her clinical status,” the post continued. “Walking, talking, etc. We will keep you posted but so far this has been one of the less hectic trips. Hopefully we hold that pattern throughout the night and can leave tomorrow morning. Thank you for your continued support. The plan is to be back here in 4-5 weeks.”

The post was adorned with a “feeling optimistic” emoji flair.

At the time of this writing, Kira’s GoFundMe campaign has reached $336,471 out of its $450,000 goal. According to the campaign, her brain tumor has been deemed innoperable.

“She was only a few weeks away from her drivers test and super excited because she worked all summer to save enough money to buy her own car. Unfortunately she can’t see well enough to do so,” the page reads. “In a very short 5-week period she went from normal and healthly teenager to a kid fighting a serious brain tumor.”

Beaver has kept his fans posted throughout the overwhelming process, and many have found themselves drawn into the horrifying ordeal of cancer treatment that his family is currently going through. There is little doubt that the situation is deeply emotional and personal for Beaver based on his lengthy post from back in November.

“The hardest thing I’ve had to write in many a year,” read the post. He wasn’t shy about venting his feelings amidst the technical details of her diagnosis. “Our house hasn’t heard me cry so deeply, so wrackingly, since I lost my wife Cecily to cancer almost 14 years ago,” he wrote.

“I’ve raised money for charity by selling t-shirts and caps,” he went on. “I’ve asked friends and strangers alike to help me support causes that mean something to me. But I’ve never begged. I’m begging now. The costs of Kira’s treatment will be staggering, and insurance will only cover a fraction of it. Her parents are having to step away from their jobs to care for her. It is a perfect storm for financial disaster.”