Tanner Martin, a social media influencer and new dad who chronicled his life with colon cancer for nearly a half million followers on Instagram, has died at age 30.
He made the announcement himself in a prerecorded video posted Wednesday. (Watch it below.)
“Hey, it’s me, Tanner. If you’re watching this, I am dead,” he said with a laugh.
Martin told his wife, Shay, to edit the video as she wished while warning her, “It’s gonna be a little lighthearted.”
“I had a heck of a life,” he continued. “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.”
The Utah-based couple welcomed a daughter conceived via IVF on May 15, nearly five years after Martin began posting about his diagnosis, People reported.
“Her daddy made it,” Shay wrote of her husband surviving long enough to hold their baby, sharing a photo of the proud parents and newborn.
“Life was awesome,” Martin declared in his farewell video. “I really enjoyed it while I was here. 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.”
“Death is scary, but it’s also like a new adventure, you know,” he continued. “I’m excited to see what the experience is like, and hopefully it’s good.”
Inspired by the words of “Star Wars” protagonist Han Solo, “Never tell me the odds,” the couple launched their Rebels Against Cancer nonprofit in March. They also got a visit from Luke Skywalker himself, actor Mark Hamill.
Colorectal cancer is on the rise among the very young, and even those in their 20s should pay attention to warning signs such as constipation, rectal bleeding and changes in bowel movements, according to Yale Medicine.
May the force be with you, Tanner.
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