The tragic story of how teen TikTok star Grace Phelan documented her terminal cancer battle has left millions heartbroken as tributes pour in.
Phelan, 19, captured hearts across social media as she bravely documented her battle with a grade 4 malignant brain tumor.
She shared intimate moments of her fight right up until her final days.
The inspiring influencer’s family announced her heartbreaking death on Friday, May 23, just one week after she posted a gut-wrenching final update about her deteriorating condition.
‘Things haven’t been good. My tumor grew and it’s in the area where I can’t breathe and it can’t be operated,’ she said. ‘So, I just want to say thank you for all the prayers. It would take a miracle, but I’m not giving up yet. If you keep praying for me, I think that I’ll make it.’
‘So we’re just going to hope and pray that I get better soon… so yeah, just keep me in your prayers. It will take a miracle, but thank you all.’
The teenager’s tragic story began last summer when she started experiencing alarming symptoms just days before she was set to begin college.
Things got more concerning when she developed numbness on one side of her face and in her leg.
The tragic story of how teen TikTok star Grace Phelan documented her terminal cancer battle has left millions heartbroken as tributes pour in
Phelan first revealed she was battling brain cancer in September, when she told her followers about the symptoms that led to her diagnosis
This led to the devastating news.
An MRI scan revealed a lesion on her brain, and a subsequent brain biopsy confirmed her worst fears – she had been diagnosed with a glioma, a aggressive type of brain tumor.
‘I started losing my balance,’ she said in one video. ‘I started having vision problems in my left eye, my numbness in my face and on my leg is still here. My speech started to seem weird. My head’s very foggy.’
That’s when the nightmare began.
She announced her cancer diagnosis in a September 2024 TikTok video.
‘This is definitely the hardest news I’ve ever received. By all means, this is not easy. Just going to trust in the Lord and try and keep pushing forward.’
Throughout her heartbreaking journey, the brave teenager gave her followers a close look into her battle.
Anna Grace Phelan, the 19-year-old influencer who documented her unwavering faith and cancer battle on TikTok , has died, her family confirmed
An MRI revealed a lesion on her brain, and after undergoing a biopsy, Phelan was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer
In the last video she posted, she opened a get-well present sent to her from Tim Tebow and gave a grim update on hear health
She shared updates about radiation therapy and her worsening symptoms, which included breathing problems and dizziness.
In her final, heart-wrenching video, Phelan spoke candidly about how the disease had destroyed her body.
‘I don’t see very well. I don’t walk or shower alone, or eat alone,’ she added ‘My whole right side is numb… that’s pretty much where we’re at,’ she continued in part. ‘I’m not doing cancer pills right now, there isn’t [sic] options for me.’
Despite her declining health, the teenager maintained her unwavering faith and gratitude for her supporters right until the end.
Her family announced her death in a message posted to her social media accounts.
‘It is with great sadness to announce that our beautiful daughter, Anna Grace Phelan, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’
‘So many of you have followed her journey through a difficult battle with cancer and bore witness to her powerful testimony of faith,’ the statement continued.
‘Thank you for the countless thousands of prayers for healing and peace. May we all rejoice with the assurance that she is in Heaven now, and she has been healed.’
Pictured: The statement Phelan’s family posted, confirming her death
Per her obituary, Phelan’s funeral will be held Thursday at Galilee Christian Church in Jackson County, Georgia, with burial to follow at the church’s cemetery.
A GoFundMe campaign launched for Phelan after her diagnosis has raised more than $65,000.
She is survived by her parents, William ‘Buddy’ Phelan and Nadine Phelan, her brother Harper David Phelan, and extended family.
