Influencer Tanner Martin warned his followers about two important signs of colon cancer before he tragically passed away.
Martin’s death was revealed in a heartbreaking pre-recorded video shared on Instagram by his wife, Shay Wright, on June 25.
“Hey, it’s me, Tanner. If you’re watching this, I am dead,” he began the clip. “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.”
“But you guys, life was awesome. I really enjoyed it while I was here,” he continued. “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.”
Martin shared that he was “excited” to see a lot of people in the afterlife, adding: “I don’t know. I’m like, 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.”
He concluded the video by expressing his gratitude to his followers for their support, saying: “Thank you for the support and helping to make the last years of my life here on earth like fun and enjoyable and helping me be comfortable.”
The influencer’s symptoms
The social media star revealed that he first began experiencing symptoms in 2020, initially dismissing them as simple stomach aches.
As his condition deteriorated, a colonoscopy eventually revealed the cancer had already advanced to stage 4 and spread to his liver.
In 2023, doctors informed him that the cancer was incurable and gave him an estimated two to five years to live.
Just weeks before his death, the late influencer posted a video on TikTok warning others about the signs of colon cancer that preceded his diagnosis.
“I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer when I was 25 years old, and the symptoms that I saw in that period of time included blood in the stool,” Martin said in the video. “And when I say blood, it wasn’t like a little blood, it was changing the colour of the water.”
He went on to describe the blood as “dark” and looking like “coffee ground,” pointing to potential internal bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. He also mentioned experiencing lower back pain and rapid fluctuations in weight.
“But the biggest sign was the bleeding and the frequency, cause I was going to the bathroom a lot, and sometimes it was just blood and blood clots,” he continued. “But when I told my doctors about it, he tried treating my symptoms for a couple of months, and then we finally got a colonoscopy, which is where they found the cancer that had spread to my liver, making it stage four.”
He ended the TikTok with a heartfelt plea: if you have the same symptoms or a family history of cancer, see a doctor.
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Before his tragic passing, Martin and his wife, Shay, welcomed their daughter AmyLou on May 15.
The late man set up a GoFundMe so that his family would be supported after his death.
“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,” the campaign description read.
“For less than the price of a hot and spicy McChicken (Tanner’s words…LOL), you can give them a future Tanner only wished he could stay to provide,” it added.
