A 19-year-old San Ramon resident uses social media to document his Stage 4 cancer treatment, building an online community of 75,000 followers while continuing college and work.

For 19-year-old Elijah Dawkins of San Ramon, social media has become something more than a place to share everyday moments. It's turned into a public journal of resilience after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma on his birthday this year.

Dawkins discovered an enlarged lymph node under his arm, which doctors identified as the source of pain he had attributed to high school sports. The cancer had spread throughout his right side, but he holds to one detail that keeps him going: it's curable.

His first video documenting the diagnosis reached more than 1 million views. Now, every post chronicles the highs and lows of treatment. "I really feel like talking about your things and not holding it in, it relieves stress," Dawkins told NBC Bay Area. "And even just talking to God, I talk to God all the time about it."

On day 109 of what's planned as a six-month treatment regimen, Dawkins has built a following of more than 75,000 on Instagram alone. The community response has become part of his treatment. "Seeing the support, that literally helps me go every single day and just share my journey," he said.

The San Ramon resident continues college coursework and working through treatment, saying the experience has taught him not to waste time pursuing his goals. Next week, he'll learn whether the treatment is working so far.

"People are going to watch me grow, beat this and be very successful later on in life," he said. "This is really just the beginning, and this is the battle that I'm fighting every single day."