Adam Klein
What a ride this has been. When I left for Survivor, I made it a goal to make it to every single episode, to give my family as many episodes to watch together as possible. Somehow, I actually made it to finale night on #Survivor! Watching my all time favorite show, with me (and now my brother!) on it, surrounded by friends and family every single week for the last 3 months has been a total blast, and I want to thank everyone (including those of you I've never met but who post kind comments and send me supportive messages) for being a part of this emotional journey with me. Hard to believe it will all be over on Wednesday. Love to you all. instagram.com/survivoradam/

“Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X” winner Adam Klein broke down into tears during the last tribal council meeting of the show and revealed that he was playing the game for his mother who was diagnosed with cancer several months ago. After winning the title, Klein went back home to share the news of his victory with his mother who unfortunately passed away two hours after he reached home.

“I truly think she was holding in all this energy to support me in the game and once she knew she didn’t need to send it to me anymore, I think she started to allow herself a little more peace,” Klein opened up about the incident while talking to People. “I absolutely believe she waited for me to come home and I’m so grateful.”

Klein’s mother, 60-year-old was suffering from lung cancer for past several months. Doctors stopped her treatment after her body stopped showing response to the medication being given.

Klein said that his mom was his strength throughout “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X” and it was her who kept him going on the show. “She recorded 11 videos for me while I was gone, telling me that it was giving her so much strength that I was out there. I wanted one of them each week as the episodes aired. I am so thankful that she did that for me and I could live it alongside with her.”

After Klein spoke about his mother during “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X,” many targeted him saying that he was trying to gain sympathy. “I honestly did not plan on talking about my mom’s cancer at the Tribal council. I’m a human being. This is a true story. This is my real life, so when people are like, ‘He’s just doing it for sympathy’ — this is actually what I am living through in the moment,” he told Entertainment Weekly.

Klein is however happy that he could share those moments with his mom telling her how much he loved her and hearing the same from her. In the honour of his mother, he has decided to donate $100,000 (AU$136,912) out of his prize money of $1 million (AU$1.37 million) to cancer research foundation Stand Up to Cancer.

“I know my mom would want me to live,” Klein told US Weekly, “That means loving people and life, laughing, traveling, dancing and all those things that she always did until her last days. That’s how I’m choosing to focus my energy.”

“Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X” finale aired on Dec. 14 in the US.

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