Anna Grace Phelan: TikTok Influencer Dies Aged 19 after Difficult Brain Cancer Battle
"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.
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