Following a diagnosis of terminal cancer at the age of 25, a couple has resorted to social media to share their experience and the good news that they are expecting a child.
Since they started chronicling Tanner Martin's battle with cancer, Shay Wright and Tanner Martin have become quite popular on TikTok. In November 2020, Tanner was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 25.
According to a previous interview with people, he was informed in February 2023 that his cancer was incurable. He would have two to five years remaining, according to the doctors' estimates. Just last week, the six-year-old married couple announced that they were expecting a child. Shay told PEOPLE, "I'm due June 5."
On November 4, the pair released a montage of footage from the past few years on TikTok. As the video plays, the words, "Cancer has taken so much from us," appear.
"I got to watch you be the greatest dog dad, even though I knew you really wanted to be a father. We intended to have a child and tried IVF, but sepsis and the advancement of your cancer stopped us. As of right now," the video says.
In matching sweatpants, the pair is shown holding newspapers with the headline, "Breaking News: Baby on the Way!" as the video comes to a close. Tanner displays an ultrasound image as Shay pushes a pram as Confetti showers down.
"It’s interesting because usually when people get pregnant they only have excitement for the future. While we are definitely excited, we are also experiencing grief, fear, and anxiety," Shay says.
She continues: "This was a massive decision for us that took a couple years to decide. As I’m a mental health therapist, I’m very aware of the research on child development. But also aware of how to combat possible negative effects. But either way, it’s going to be hard."
According to Shay, the couple started using IVF procedures to try for a child over a year ago because they were unable to conceive naturally due to Tanner's cancer treatment.
The couple was hit with another roadblock when Tanner got sepsis and spent months in the hospital. "We waited about a year to do the transfer until Tanner was more stable on treatment and I graduated from my masters program," Shay says.
Source: People.com