Anna Grace Phelan: TikTok Influencer Dies Aged 19 after Difficult Brain Cancer Battle
Anna Grace Phelan, the 19-year-old influencer who shared her journey of unwavering faith and her fight against cancer on TikTok, has died, her family has confirmed. "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,' read a message posted to her social media accounts.
"So many of you have followed her journey through a difficult battle with cancer and bore witness to her powerful testimony of faith. 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," the heartbreaking statement from her family read.
Gone too Soon
Phelan first shared that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer in September, explaining to her followers that she began having symptoms such as numbness on the left side of her face and the right side of her leg, as well as trouble with balance and vision.
"I started losing my balance," Phelan 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."
An MRI scan showed a lesion on her brain, and after a biopsy, Phelan was diagnosed with glioblastoma — a fast-growing and untreatable type of brain cancer.
"This is definitely the hardest news I've ever received," Phelan shared in a TikTok posted in September. "By all means, this is not easy. Just going to trust in the Lord and try and keep pushing forward."
Put Up Brave Fight During Difficult Final Days
In the months that followed her diagnosis, Phelan continued to share updates about her health, relying heavily on her Christian faith and inspiring others to do the same. Her journey touched the hearts of thousands, who drew strength from her courage and calm spirit.
In the final video she posted, Phelan unwrapped a get-well gift from Tim Tebow and shared a heartbreaking update on her condition.
She told her audience: "Things haven't been good. My tumor grew and it's in the area where I can't breathe. It can't be operated. So, I just wanted 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."
According to her obituary, Phelan's funeral service will be held Thursday at Galilee Christian Church in Jackson County, Georgia, with her burial taking place at the church cemetery.
A GoFundMe fundraiser created to support Phelan after her diagnosis has raised over $65,000.
She leaves behind her parents, William "Buddy" Phelan and Nadine Phelan, her brother Harper David Phelan, as well as other relatives.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Forum: Efforts under way to encourage organisations, youth to support blood donations
Forum: Efforts under way to encourage organisations, youth to support blood donations We thank Mr Ivan Ong for advocating the importance of blood donation (More youth, corporate support needed for blood donations, June 4). Blood donation is a voluntary act, and time off for donating blood may be awarded at organisations' discretion. The Civil Service has taken the lead to allow public officers to use their volunteer leave for blood donation. This demonstrates the Civil Service's strong commitment to the National Blood Programme in securing the nation's blood supply. To galvanise more corporate involvement, Singapore Red Cross and the Health Sciences Authority actively collaborate with organisations to host community bloodmobile drives, conduct employee educational talks, and encourage group donations at any of the five Bloodbanks islandwide. We also encourage organisations and their chief executives to 'Adopt a Bloodbank' by pledging at least 40 staff donations every year. This initiative fosters long-term donor engagement and cultivates a sense of shared ownership and social responsibility in ensuring a safe and sufficient blood supply. To inspire more youth to step forward, our YouthInspire club works closely with interest groups and celebrity fan clubs to organise thematic drives at the Bloodbanks. These efforts not only promote peer-to-peer recruitment, but also help debunk misconceptions, and embed blood donation into the youth lifestyle. We invite youth to follow the @heybloodbuddy account on Instagram and TikTok and join our upcoming activities. We welcome all youth and community members to join our upcoming World Blood Donor Day celebration at Marina Bay Sands on June 28 themed, 'One Community, Many Lifesavers'. We thank all regular donors for their continued support and echo Mr Ong's call for more individuals and organisations to champion this life-saving cause. Together, we can ensure a resilient and sustainable national blood programme for all. Prakash Menon Srikumaran Group Director, Blood Donor Programme Singapore Red Cross Dr Ang Ai Leen Group Director, Blood Services Group Health Sciences Authority More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
International Business Times
5 days ago
- International Business Times
Tempe Teen Dies While Attempting 'Dusting' Social Media Challenge
A Tempe teenager died this week after participating in a social media challenge known as "dusting." Renna O'Rourke, 19, went into cardiac arrest after attempting the challenge. The O'Rourke family is now sharing their daughter's story to spread awareness. What is the 'Dusting' Challenge? "Dusting" is a viral trend in which social media users record themselves inhaling keyboard cleaning spray to get higher views on their profiles and videos. The challenge is also known as "chroming" or "huffing." As reported by AZ Family, O'Rourke was immediately rushed to the hospital and remained unconscious for nearly a week. Earlier this week, she was declared brain dead. Her parents, Dana and Aaron, are now sharing their daughter's story to spread awareness and save others from losing their kids to the potential killers in their cabinets. "There's no ID required. It's odorless. It's everything kids look for. They can afford it, they can get it, and it doesn't show in mom and dad's drug test," said Dana. "Don't take your kids word for it. Dig deep. Search their rooms. Don't trust and that sounds horrible, but it could save their life," she added. Experts: When Teens Inhale the Chemicals, it Replaces the Oxygen Within Their Body "This is extremely concerning," said Dr. Randy Weisman. He leads the Intensive Care Unit at HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center. "When they inhale these chemicals in the gas it will actually replace the oxygen within their lungs and within the rest of their body." He said dusting makes the user feel drunk and euphoric for a couple of minutes, and in that short amount of time, the damage done after just one huff can be irreversible and even deadly. "Failure of the liver, heart failure, disease of the lungs," said Dr. Weisman. "She's not the only one that this has happened to. Several other teenagers have succumb to this same disorder," said Dr. Weisman. "She spent the next seven days in the ICU. She never regained consciousness," said Dana. "We don't have children to bury them." Dusting is different than another popular and easily accessible drug you might have heard of called whippets. It's not the same kind of chemicals in the gas. Dr. Weisman said both are equally unsafe and encourages parents to have conversations with their kids about the dangers of abusing common household products. A GoFundMe has been set up for Renna to help cover her medical bills and funeral costs.
Straits Times
7 days ago
- Straits Times
ADHD feels like it's everywhere? Researchers see no upswell
The disorder, with symptoms such as a short attention span and restlessness, has received widespread attention in recent years. PHOTO: REUTERS ADHD feels like it's everywhere? Researchers see no upswell LONDON – ADHD may seem like it's everywhere at the moment, but researchers found its prevalence hasn't changed much in recent years. A review by King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience found that the proportion of people with a medical diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder didn't increase meaningfully between 2020 and 2024. The findings published on June 5 are based on four studies only, due to the poor quality of most of the others reviewed by the researchers. The disorder, with symptoms such as a short attention span and restlessness, has received widespread attention in recent years. The scientists called for more research to guide clinical practice and public-health policy. 'The media has been concerned about a 'surge' in ADHD diagnoses for several years,' said Dr Alex Martin, a psychology lecturer at King's College London and one of the study's authors. 'While assessments and help-seeking may be increasing, our study has shown significant gaps in the tracking of ADHD prevalence, resulting in a frustratingly unclear picture.' More people are getting checked for ADHD, which the scientists suggested 'may be reflective of a societal change in the way the condition is conceptualised.' Social media posts and engagement could have contributed to the increased demand as it helped reduce stigma, Dr Philip Shaw, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at King's College who didn't participate in the study, said on a conference call regarding the findings. How social media influences brain function is also unknown. While research is ongoing, it's too early to determine whether platforms including Instagram and TikTok contribute to the development of ADHD, according to Dr Shaw. Scientists don't yet know for certain if social media use is driving some symptoms of inattention, Dr Shaw said, or whether children susceptible to distraction 'are exactly the ones who are going online and multitasking.' BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
