Man who raised funds claiming terminal cancer was not ill
Monday 7 September 2026 · 4 outlets · 3 reports · updated In this story The Guardian
A coroner has found that 56-year-old US national Douglas Ruch did not have terminal prostate cancer. Ruch had raised thousands of dollars for travel and volunteer work by claiming he was dying. He died by suicide just days after arriving in New Zealand.
Key facts
5 facts
- Douglas Ruch was a 56-year-old US national
- Coroner Tracey Fitzgibbon ruled Ruch's death a suicide
- A post mortem showed no evidence of prostate cancer
- One GoFundMe reached US$230,000 (NZ$391,386)
- Ruch's campaign was named 'DyingToServe'
The full story
1 min read · 3 outlets
A coroner has found that Douglas Ruch, who raised thousands of dollars by claiming to have terminal prostate cancer, did not have the disease when he died by suicide. The 56-year-old US national arrived in New Zealand just days before his death.
Ruch's 'DyingToServe' campaign featured in several outlets and sought funds for travel to perform volunteer work. One GoFundMe reached US$230,000 (NZ$391,386).
In December 2025, Ruch's diagnosis and philanthropy came under scrutiny after he deactivated his fundraisers and social media pages. Following an article by journalist David Farrier, Ruch checked into an Auckland hotel and expressed concern that 'dangerous internet stalkers' might be looking for him.
A post mortem examination revealed no evidence of prostate cancer. Ruch's ex-wife noted he had a history of anxiety and had an incident of suicidal intent in 2019.
Compiled from reports by 1News, Otago Daily Times and Stuff.
How they headlined it
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1News via RNZ
Man who raised thousands claiming he was dying of cancer wasn’t sick (opens in new tab)
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Otago Daily Times
Man who claimed to be dying of cancer didn’t have disease (opens in new tab)
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Stuff via RNZ
Also on NZ Herald (opens in new tab)