Fuller Goldsmith, a former contestant on both "Top Chef Junior" on Bravo and
"Chopped Junior" on Food Network, died after a near lifelong cancer diagnosis.
The young and talented chef from Alabama survived cancer four times before his death at age 17.
When Goldsmith was just three years old, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The young chef first competed on "Chopped Junior" at the age of 14, winning the competition and
donating the entirety of his $10,000 prize to the Division of Hematology and Pediatric Oncology at
Birmingham Children's Hospital. Goldsmith had to withdraw from "Top Chef Junior '' halfway
through the season because he became too ill to compete, according to The Kitchn.
In February 2021,
Goldsmith shared with fans on Instagram that his leukemia had returned. He wrote,
"Unfortunately the news regarding the tumor was not what I was hoping.
The same Leukemia is back. The plan is to start proton radiation at UAB
as soon as I can....hopefully within the next two weeks. I will have 12 days of radiation and
then more chemo to make sure it's gone once and for all. Round 5- I'm ready to fight!"
Throughout the rounds of radiation,
Goldsmith continued to cook and share his talent on social media.
Fuller Goldsmith's death was confirmed by Magical Elves, the production company behind
"Top Chef Junior". The company shared the news and remembered Goldsmith on Instagram
with photos from his time on the competition. Magical Elves wrote,
"We are devastated after hearing about the loss of our Top Chef Junior alum, Fuller Goldsmith. He
was an incredible chef and the strongest kid we've ever met. From the minute he was introduced to us,
we knew he would make an impact on everyone around him and be a positive force in [the]
cooking world. To his family, we give all our love as they mourn the loss of someone truly special."
Goldsmith certainly made an impact on those he worked with on set, as well as viewers. The host
of "Top Chef Junior," Vanessa Lachey, commented on the post Magical Elves wrote. Lachey said,
"We all Loved Fuller so much! And will never forget his contagious smile,
laugh and butter tricks. Sending so much Love to his family. We will never forget you Fuller!!"
“Top Chef Amateurs” host Gail Simmons shared her thoughts as well, commenting,
"We love you Fuller. Thank you for spending so much time with
us. Your love of cooking was contagious and you taught us so much about courage
and determination. You are loved and missed, and forever in our hearts."
Guy Fieri met Fuller Goldsmith a few years ago, and after learning of his death
Fieri posted words of appreciation for the young chef on Twitter saying,
"What Fuller accomplished in his life and the example he
set for people battling cancer was remarkable. RIP Fuller Goldsmith."
Fieri was Goldsmith's idol, according to The Kitchn. He got his inspiration to cook
from watching Fieri on TV in the hospital. Entertainment Weekly arranged for a surprise
meeting between Goldsmith and Fieri at the Stagecoach Festival in California.
Fieri was impressed at the time with then-14-year-old Goldsmith's courage,
in the face of both cancer and those high-stress TV cooking competitions.
Fuller Goldsmith's disease, acute lymphoblastic leukemia,
or ALL, is the most common form of cancer in children,
according to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The survival rate among children is 90%,
but the University of Kansas Cancer Center notes that some types of ALL are more fatal than others.
In general, according to the St. Jude website, ALL is a condition in which immature white blood cells
grow out of control in the bone marrow and crowd out normal white blood cells, making it difficult
for patients to fight infections. The cancer can spread to the lymph nodes, liver, spleen,
spinal cord, and brain, according to the American Cancer Society.
Goldsmith told his fans on Instagram about his cancer appearing for a fourth time in December
2018 — just days after he had posted about going to a University of Alabama football
game with "my fellow cancer-free buddy." This time, Goldsmith said,
doctors had found leukemia in his spinal fluid. Before Goldsmith's radiation and
chemotherapy treatments this year, doctors had treated the boy's cancer with spinal surgery,
a bone marrow transplant, and more chemotherapy, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Goldsmith's last Instagram post was about three weeks before his death, showing off a new haircut.
After his death, fans found that final post to pay respect to Goldsmith. One fan wrote,
"RIP chef Fuller. I hope you are cooking with the angels."