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Tanner Martin, a dad from Utah who chronicled his cancer battle online, has died at the age of 30, weeks after his wife gave birth to their first child.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Tanner Martin had been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at 25. He and his wife, Shay Wright, had been active online about their struggles, including their pregnancy and daughter's birth.
Ahead of his demise, he recorded a goodbye video, which was shared on Instagram and TikTok on Wednesday, June 25.
“Hey, it’s me, Tanner. If you are watching this, I am dead," he began the 5-minute video. "I had a heck of a life. I decided to make this video announcing my death because I saw someone did that, like, a year or so ago, and I think it's a good opportunity to get all your thoughts out," he added.
He continued,
"But you guys, life was awesome. I really enjoyed it while I was here. Hopefully, I believe there's something after this. I'm excited to meet those people, and hopefully we're hanging out now and making fun of all you nerds."
He also listed the names of a few family members who have also died, adding,
"There's just a lot of people that for the afterlife, I'm excited to see them, and excited to see them not in pain and just happy. I don't know, I'm like, death is scary, but it's also like a new adventure, you know," he said. "I'm excited to see what the experience is like, and hopefully it's good."
He thanked his fans for their support:
"But I love you guys, and seriously, thanks again for all your support and helping to make the last years of my life here on earth like fun and enjoyable and helping me be comfortable."
Tanner Martin beseeches the public's help for funds for his widow and newborn daughter: Read more
Tanner Martin's wife captioned the video:
"May the force be with you from our angel force ghost🤍 see the next video for his wish."
In another video shared later that day, Martin could be seen outlining his final wish, which was to launch a GoFundMe to help raise funds for his daughter and wife for their future needs.
"The GoFundMe is to help replace what I would be there for,” he said, sitting next to their daughter. “It will help replace my income. It will help pay for babysitting. It will help for her school, for her wedding. All of these things that normally Shay and I would do together.”
Shay Wright captioned the video:
“Tanner’s last wish. He joked while making this ‘for the price of a McChicken, you could fund my AmyLou’s legacy fund.”
Tanner Martin and his wife announced their daughter's birth on May 15 via an image on their Instagram Stories. In it, the husband and wife could be seen gazing at their child from a hospital bed together.
The Salt Lake Tribune has reported that within hours, the GoFundMe initiative raised over $276,000.
“With the time he had left, his heart was focused on their future — providing for his baby girl’s dreams, college or wedding, and making sure his wife wasn’t left to carry it all alone," the GoFundMe campaign reads. “Your support — whether it’s $1, $5, $50, or more — goes directly to helping Tanner’s two greatest loves, Shay and AmyLou, move forward with hope and security."
Tanner Martin's wife revealed that he had been placed in hospice care less than a week ago. Today has reported that he was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer in November 2020. About two years later, doctors told him his cancer was fatal, giving him about five years to live, the pair told People magazine in October 2024.
Nonetheless, the pair was excited to expand their family, as they announced in a November 2024 video on TikTok:
“Cancer has taken so much from us. I know you wanted to be a dad so badly, but I got to see you be the best dog dad. We tried IVF and planned to have a baby, but sepsis and your cancer progressing prevented us. Until now,” a caption over the clip read. It concluded: “Breaking News: Baby on the Way!”
Later that month, they revealed they used in vitro fertilization (IVF) to help with their pregnancy due to Tanner Martin's ailing health.
“We have done everything in our power to make sure AmyLou knows her dad; letters, videos, gifts for birthdays, and now we have this place for her to come, sit and get to know who he was,” they shared in one video as mom and daughter approached Tanner Martin's grave.
Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more.
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