He didn’t just say goodbye, he planned it. With a soft voice and steady gaze, Tanner Martin stared into the camera, knowing it would be the last time the world heard from him.
Tanner Martin, a beloved Utah-based influencer who chronicled his journey with terminal cancer, has died at the age of 30, just over a month after welcoming his first child. He announced his passing in a prerecorded video on Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
In the prerecorded video shared on Instagram, the influencer aired his thoughts about what his wife would need after his passing. He also used the video to deliver a heartfelt message to his followers while telling them to let his wife grieve and take a break from social media.
The emotional video is titled “May the force be with you from our angel force ghost.🤍” Tanner began with the words, “Hey, it’s me, Tanner. If you’re watching this, I am dead,” before reflecting on his life, his faith, and his battle with stage IV colon cancer.
He was diagnosed in November 2020 at the age of 25. He managed to finish college and get a job, but lost it due to side effects from cancer treatments. When he should have launched his career like any other 25-year-old, he moved into his in-laws’ basement.
However, when a period of hope and stability presented itself in the fall of 2024 after a new treatment regimen proved effective, Tanner and his wife, Shay, decided to start a family.
Tanner and Shay captured hearts online when they shared their pregnancy journey, despite knowing their time was limited. In a viral video post on TikTok, the couple announced they were expecting.
Their story was later featured in People magazine, where they explained their decision to have a child despite Tanner’s terminal diagnosis. “I’m due June 5,” Shay said in the interview, adding that the pregnancy gave them purpose and peace.
@tannerandshay You’ll want to watch until the end…surprise!😭😭 #cancersucks #ivf #momsoftiktok #momtok #dadtok #viralvideo #fyp @@Michael Bublé ♬ I Get to Love You – Acoustic – Mysha Didi
In a post on Instagram, the couple opened up about why they chose to move forward with parenthood in the face of his diagnosis. Tanner also shared his fears about having a child who could carry the cancer genes and the future of his child, seeing how children with single parents suffer stigmatization and ridicule in movies.
In his words, he said, “I don’t know. I didn’t want to turn my kid into a Disney character.” The couple also used the video post to state that they had taken preventive measures to secure the future of their child if anything should happen to either of them.
Meanwhile, just weeks before their daughter’s arrival, Tanner provided an update on how he was preparing to meet his daughter, sharing his joy and vulnerability with his audience. The emotional post was captioned, “Cancer and baby update💗”
On May 15, 2025, Tanner and Shay shared a post welcoming their daughter, AmyLou Grace Martin, into the world. Tanner called it the greatest moment of his life, though his health rapidly declined afterward. The post is captioned, “Her daddy made it😭💗🫶🏼”
In another post, after their baby was born, the couple took to Instagram to express their joy of being granted the opportunity to be parents before Tanner died. The post, captioned, “My make a wish happened: I saw you become dad😭💗🫶🏼,” drew hearts and emotions online.
He said, “Hey, there’s [sic] two lines. You got a bun in the oven,” as he collected the pregnancy home test stick from his wife. The video also showed several clips of the couple expressing their happiness in silly yet adorable ways.
In his final prerecorded message, Tanner shared his last wish: to ensure AmyLou would be taken care of after his death. The words linked to the video were lighthearted. He thanked everyone for the support shown to him and his family since their daughter came into the world.
He asked if people would help give AmyLou a good childhood via a GoFundMe, as he wouldn’t be around to provide it. He said, “The GoFundMe is to help replace what I will be there for. It would help pay for babysitting, for school, for her wedding. All these things that normally Shay and I would do together.”
He and Shay launched a GoFundMe campaign called “Support Tanner’s Family & Honor His Last Wish.” The fundraiser quickly went viral, raising over $276,000 within hours to cover AmyLou’s education and future needs.
Tanner Martin leaves behind a powerful legacy of love, faith, and resilience. Though his life was brief, his impact continues to echo through the lives he touched and in the daughter whose future he fought to secure, even in his final breath.
