TikTok star Madison Baloy who went viral after terminal cancer diagnosis, dies at 26

Madison Baloy, a kindergarten teacher and TikTok influencer, passed away at the age of 26 on May 1, 2024, following a battle with terminal cancer. She was known for documenting her life and posting candid confessions about her health issues.

Her fiancé Louis Risher, confirmed the news to People a day later, sharing that she died "surrounded with love". He said:

"Maddy passed away peacefully last night. She is so special. I turned 27 yesterday, actually. I was holding her hand all day and that's all I needed."

She had amassed a following of nearly 500,000 followers across her social channels, and several fans sent well wishes and comments to her family and friends.

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TikToker Madison Baloy dies at 26 after battle with terminal cancer

Madison Baloy was a kindergarten teacher at Shore Acres Elementary in Tampa, Florida. In the summer of 2022, she began noticing some stomach issues. The TikTok influencer spent more than a year changing her diet so that she could improve her health.

The pain went on for almost a year and Madison Baloy initially thought she had contracted "either a worm" or a stomach virus from one of the students at the elementary in Florida. However, her fiancé urged her to go to a hospital and get medical attention. The teacher told People that on February 22, 2023, she repeatedly vomited blood and began experiencing sensory issues.

This prompted her to get a check-up, and doctors discovered abnormalities in her large intestine that required emergency surgery. The medical team soon found numerous cancerous tumors pressing on her large intestine, as well. Madison Baloy was informed a day later when she woke up and was told at the time that she had five years to live.

She was diagnosed with stage four cancer and decided to document her health journey on TikTok. Baloy told People that she felt "so alone and isolated," after receiving news that she had such a short time left to live. She added:

"I knew I had a lot to say. My mind shifted, and I was like, ‘I am going to get every ounce of life that I can out of this. There’s nothing we can do. So I may as well have some fun.'"

Madison Baloy soon gained a lot of followers and views online. One of her most popular videos showed her naming 19 of her 20 bucket list items.

The wishes included getting a tattoo with her grandma, having a "beautiful wedding" and also meeting celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

She also wanted to "convince at least one person to watch The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," in her bucket list and also to convince someone to stop dieting.

The influencer's wish to meet Ramsey did come true as he flew her down to Miami for dinner at his restaurant. Madison wrote about the special day in a February Instagram post:

"The best night of my life! Thank you endlessly for giving the biggest yes, Chef."

In a video she posted on social media, the chef was seen dancing with her in the kitchen and hugging her.

Ramsay recently took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute on her passing:

Madison Baloy also met Taylor Lautner and Tay Lautner, ticking another wish off the bucket list. During the February 28, 2024, episode of the couple's podcast, she said:

"From the start, I just wanted to be as open as I could be. I didn't quit anything when I got cancer—continuing my lifestyle of being a girl in her twenties—people think that is insane, but that's who I was before."

Baloy is survived by her parents Carissa Talmege and Lucky Talmege, her fiancé Louis Risher, and her brother Dylan.