Content creator Maddy Baloy has died at the age of 26 after gaining fame on TikTok with updates of her experience with terminal cancer.
Maddy, who lived in Florida, had amassed more than 450,000 followers on her TikTok page where she described herself as a 'stage iv cool girl'.
The 26-year-old had been diagnosed last year with a number of cancerous tumors, which were found to be pressing on her large intestine after she began vomiting blood.
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Maddy had initially believed she might have caught a virus from one of her Kindergarten students at Shore Acres Elementary in Florida, but after undergoing surgery she learned she had colon cancer, and was initially given five years to live.
Maddy shared regular updates about her health and life in videos on TikTok, taking viewers with her as she attempted to complete her 'bucket list' by traveling to various places, meeting celebrities and going on adventures.
After Maddy announced that she wanted to meet Gordon Ramsay as part of her bucket list, the famous chef flew her down to Miami to have dinner at one of his Hell’s Kitchen restaurants and to attend the opening of his new restaurant, Lucky Cat in South Beach.
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Viewers praised Maddy for ticking items off her bucket list and for sharing her story, and hundreds of her followers are now sharing their condolences after her fiancé, Louis Risher, announced the news of her death.
In a statement made to People on Thursday (2 May), Risher said: "Madison passed away peacefully last night."
He assured Maddy was 'surrounded with love' as she passed away, adding: "She is so special. I turned 27 yesterday, actually. I was holding her hand all day and that’s all I needed."
Prior to her death, Maddy told the publication she'd initially started her TikTok page because she felt 'alone and isolated' following her diagnosis.
"I knew that I had a lot to say," she said, adding that it was important to experience 'every single emotion while we're here because we're not going to be here for long'.
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Fans have been adding comments to Maddy's most recent TikTok video, shared in March, in the wake of her death.
"Rest in peace sweet angel," one person commented, adding: "You will be so greatly missed, thank you for sharing your hard fought journey with us."
Another fan wrote: "RIP, sweet girl. Life is so unfair and I hate that someone like you couldn't bless this world for a longer period of time."
As well as her fiancé, Maddy is survived by her mom Carissa Talmege and her stepfather Lucky Talmege.
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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.
Topics: Cancer, TikTok, Social Media, Health, Celebrity