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 shared his last wish in a final prerecorded video posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
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 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.
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.