Wilmington content creator battles cancer, faces imminent TikTok ban

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — At 8:00 am on weekdays, you can find Hans Westermark at Apple Annie’s Bake Shop in Wilmington, decorating cakes. Westermark has worked at the local bakery for more than 30 years.  

“I’ve worked every single position in the bakery except payroll,” Westermark said. 

Over the last few years, he’s gained more than 500,000 followers and racked up millions of views with his cake decorating videos on TikTok.  

Westermark said the app’s community has made him proud of his work during a time that he felt burnt out.  

“I don’t think of myself as being special, but other people do and really gives me a lot of encouragement to just keep trying to do better all the time,” he said. 

But while Westermark shares his art with people around the world, he is dealing with a battle of his own. In June, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.  

He said if all goes well, he has just one more treatment before he can start to recover. 

“So I’ll be done with that at the end of January,” he said. “And then I’ll have surgery and so, hopefully everything works out.” 

Westermark has used his platform to bring awareness to a GoFundMe to help cover medical bills—but he may lose his following when an effective ban on TikTok goes into place on Sunday.  

He said he is considering moving his content to another app but that it almost certainly won’t have the same reach.  

Legislators have said the ban is in the interest of national security, but Westermark feels that argument is flatly un-American.  

“They should basically, in my opinion, rule that it’s unconstitutional,” he said. “I mean if you have to ban TikTok, you should ban Facebook and Instagram or any other platform.” Westermark feels TikTok has provided a uniquely peaceful place to learn, collaborate, and share content.  

“It’s a fun place to go to and I don’t feel negative when I get off the platform. I don’t feel angry. When I get on any other platform, I see stuff and you just get a little bit anxious,” he noted. 

If you want to support Westermark on his cancer journey, you can visit his GoFundMe page.