Tanner Martin GoFundMe sees surge in donations amid Utah influencer’s funeral following cancer diagnosis

Donations have skyrocketed for a GoFundMe campaign set up for Utah influencer Tanner Martin as the outpouring of support for him at his funeral on July 5 led to a major boost in the crowdfunding effort, which has gone from its $250,000 initial goal to over $818,000.

Tanner Martin was initially diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in the fall of 2020. For the next five years, he shared his weight loss and fitness journey with his then-wife, Shay Wright, and was always open and candid online.

Just a few weeks before his death, the couple had welcomed their daughter, AmyLou, whom they affectionately referred to as Jiaozi.

In an emotional Instagram video posted on June 25, which was uploaded the same day Shay announced his death, Tanner addressed his fans and supporters.

Hey, it’s me, Tanner, if you’re watching this, I am dead. I had a heck of a life... Life was awesome. I really enjoyed it while I was here. Hopefully, I believe there’s something after this." He said in the video.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Shay Martin (@tannerandshay)

It was in his final breath that he expressed his last wish for his followers to donate to the GoFundMe campaign he had just launched to ensure financial security for Shay and their newborn, saying he hadn’t had life insurance and wouldn’t be able to be there for future special moments.

The results were immediate: the fundraiser crossed its $250,000 benchmark in just a few hours after the release of the video. In a day, it had topped $400,000, and within a week, it was over $720,000. By his funeral, it had risen to over $818,000.

A look into Tanner Martin’s funeral and the financial plan to support his newborn

Tanner was laid to rest on Saturday, July 5, with some personal touches. His father, Thomas, spoke at the funeral, speaking fondly of Tanner and how he was “always switched on to be happy and friendly.”

According to US Weekly, he also reflected on the last week of his son’s life, when they watched Star Wars and Indiana Jones together. Shay also encouraged mourners to wear something Star Wars in his honor.

"All who attend the funeral are invited to wear something Star Wars in honor of Tanner — ties, pins, stickers, our custom Rebels Against Cancer shirts with other formal wear." Shay Wright wrote in a post.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Shay Martin (@tannerandshay)

This deeply personal service struck a chord online and sparked a new surge of donations from those inspired by his legacy. The campaign laid out four stages, from immediate living costs and child care to long-term goals such as college tuition and even a wedding help for AmyLou.

According to People, when the fundraiser surpassed $500,000, Shay Wright said that she had donated 25 percent of all additional donations to Rebels Against Cancer, the nonprofit that the couple co-founded, and 25 percent to create the Tanner Martin Memorial Scholarship at Utah Valley University.

These steps served to remind donors that they were not only offering relief to a mourning family, but they were also sowing the seeds of change in Tanner Martin’s honor that would last for a long time.