Tanner Martin was a loving husband and devoted father – and a huge influencer who let us follow him on his fight against cancer.
Sadly, he didn’t make it and passed away at just 30.
He became world-famous when he recorded a now-viral video announcing his own death.
The widow of beloved influencer Tanner Martin is now opening up about her late husband’s health battle, giving fans new insight into the man who shared his life, and his fight – so openly online.
Tanner, who documented his journey with colon cancer, passed away in June 2025 at home in Utah, surrounded by family.
In a heartbreaking yet courageous final message, posted to the couple’s shared Instagram account, Tanner spoke directly to the camera: “Hey, it’s me, Tanner. If you’re watching this, I am dead.” He recorded the video in advance as a way to offer clarity, comfort, and gratitude to the many people who had followed his journey.
A young father taken too soon
Tanner was just 25 when he was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2020. Even though doctors initially thought Tanner’s cancer might be at an early stage, given his young age, scans revealed it was stage 4 and had already spread to his liver.
Over the next four years, he endured multiple rounds of treatment, surgeries, and chemotherapy.
Despite periods of remission, the cancer returned in 2021 and eventually became terminal. Throughout it all, he and his wife, Shay, shared moments of joy online, including their IVF journey and the birth of their daughter, AmyLou, in May.
True to his personality, Tanner often joked about his own mortality, using humor as a way to cope with the shock. Shay’s father, Steve Wright, remembers Tanner as a man whose kindness and humor never faded. His vibrant spirit and genuine kindness endeared him to everyone he encountered.
“He made you feel like you’re the most important person in the room,” Wright told Good Morning America. “Even when he was super sick, he wanted to just be very real.”
