The tragic story of how teen TikTok star Grace Phelan documented her terminal cancer 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.
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.
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.'
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
RFK Jr. says he finds it ‘convenient' to wear jeans to the gym
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explained on Fox News that he works out in jeans for convenience, as he would go hiking before the gym and found it practical. Kennedy recently participated in the 'Pete and Bobby Challenge' with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, completing 50 pull-ups and 100 push-ups in under six minutes while wearing jeans. The challenge aims to encourage American youth to be fit, aligning with Kennedy's 'Make America Healthy Again' (MAHA) agenda, which promotes public health, reducing artificial food additives, and re-evaluating health choices for children. Kennedy's MAHA movement, which echoes President Donald Trump 's 'Make America Great Again' slogan, focuses on health issues, including a reassessment of childhood vaccines. While experts agree with Kennedy's claim about increasing chronic conditions in American children, critics like John Oliver and health experts have raised concerns about the 'dangerous' nature of some of MAHA's proposed solutions, particularly the defunding of mRNA vaccine research.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Teacher praises restrictions placed on phone use in classrooms
An Alabama teacher has praised a new state law banning mobile phones in school classrooms, noting significant improvements in student engagement and academic focus. Jonathan Buchwalter, a history teacher, observed that students were taking notes, completing assignments, asking for help, and interacting with each other more effectively. This local success reflects a wider trend across the United States, with 33 states having enacted legislation or policies to restrict student mobile phone use in schools. The push for these restrictions is driven by concerns over the negative impact of smartphones on students' mental health, academic performance, and attention spans. Studies have linked problematic smartphone use to increased depression, anxiety, and insomnia in teenagers, reinforcing the rationale behind these school policies.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
At least 600 US CDC employees are getting final termination notices, AP reports
Aug 20 (Reuters) - At least 600 employees of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are receiving permanent termination notices, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday, citing the American Federation of Government Employees. The report added that the notices were sent out this week, and many employees have not yet received them, according to the union, which represents more than 2,000 dues-paying members at the agency. The Trump administration began mass layoffs of 10,000 staffers at U.S. health agencies in April, as part of a sweeping overhaul aimed at shrinking the federal government and reducing spending. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, and the American Federation of Government Employees did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
