Widow of influencer, 30, who announced his own death reveals first two cancer symptoms he noticed

Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.

Shay Wright, the widow of Tanner Martin, has recalled how her late husband started to feel before his cancer diagnosis.

Tanner Martin was a well-known influencer who passed away in June of this year after being diagnosed with colon cancer in November 2020.

In a rather unusual fashion, Tanner announced his own death in a pre-recorded video shared to social media on his behalf.

"Hey, it's me, Tanner. If you're watching this, I am dead," he started the video.

Tanner continued in the tear-jerking message: "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, and then also, you can be thoughtful about what your spouse or your partner might need."

Tanner Martin pictured with his wife Shay and their dog (jiffymartin/Instagram)

Now, several months after his death and his widow, Shay, has spoken about the symptoms Tanner was experiencing before he was diagnosed at the age of 25.

Chatting on The Unplanned Podcast, Shay shared: "In the summer of 2020 [...] he just started to have bowel/stomach issues and he had issues sitting down for a long period of time. He was really uncomfortable."

She went on to say that it's 'really common' with colon cancer patients to notice a change in their bowel movements.

"He went to the doctor numerous times and the doctor gave him some medicine," the grieving wife went on. "It helped with his stomach issues but issues kept coming back."

When the problems continued, Tanner was told he needed to see a gastrointestinal doctor. They first looked at his gallbladder and found no issues so they referred Tanner for a colonoscopy.

Shay said: "At that point he'd started having a lot of blood in his stool."

Doctors weren't able to complete the colonoscopy because 10cm into his colon and they came across 'a huge mass' that they couldn't get past. The doctor then went on to say that he was '99 percent sure that it's cancer'.

The professionals were optimistic that it was only early-stage cancer since Tanner was only 25 years old at the time, but sadly it turned out to be stage four.

Tanner died on June 25, 2025.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].