Social media star Tanner Martin has died aged 30, five weeks after the birth of his daughter.
The news came in a video pre-recorded by Martin, in which he announced his own death: “Hey, it’s me, Tanner. If you are watching this, I am dead.”
The former call centre worker gained hundreds of thousands of followers as he documented his journey with stage 4 colorectal cancer after being diagnosed with the disease five years ago.
After treatment appeared to be working, Martin and his wife, Shay, agreed to start a family and announced they were expecting a baby girl, only to find out that the attempt at a cure had failed. They announced the arrival of their daughter AmyLou on 15 May this year.
Martin’s videos inspired millions across the internet as he shared the joys and challenges of starting a family while receiving debilitating treatment for the condition.
In his final video, lasting just over five minutes, he appeared upbeat but frail as he said: “I had a heck of a life.”
He continued: “Life was awesome. I really enjoyed it while I was here. Death is scary, but it’s also like a new adventure, you know? I’m excited to see what the experience is like, and hopefully it’s good.
“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.”
In a second video in which he is seen struggling to breathe while covered in blankets as he sits next to his newborn daughter, he asked for contributions to a GoFundMe as his final wish, joking that “for the price of a McChicken you could fund my AmyLou’s legacy fund”.
Thousands of tributes poured in as one person wrote: “Laughing through the tears. Rest easy sweet Tanner. I didn’t have the privilege of knowing you personally but the impact you’ve had on me in my short time knowing of your existence is astronomical. Shay, you and sweet baby girl are in my thoughts and prayers, always.”
“Sometimes life is unfair. It’s always the nice guys,” said another.
