TikTok Star Maddy Baloy Has Died at Age 26 After a Documented Battle With Cancer
“"My cancer is in my large intestine, my small intestine, my uterus, my ovaries, basically the entire lower half of my body is filled up with cancer."
May 3 2024, Published 9:43 a.m. ET
Millions of TikTok users are in mourning following the news that Maddy Baloy, a TikTok star who was well known for documenting her battle with cancer, had died at the age of 26. Maddy, who worked as a kindergarten teacher, reached an audience of millions with her inspirational videos.
Even though she had a well-documented cancer diagnosis, many still wanted to know more about the circumstances surrounding Maddy’s death. Here’s what we know about what happened to Maddy.
What happened to TikTok star Maddy Baloy?
In speaking with People, Maddy’s fiancé Louis Risher confirmed that she had died. “Madison passed away peacefully last night,” Louis said in a statement on May 2, 2024.
“She is so special,” he added. “I turned 27 yesterday, actually. I was holding her hand all day and that’s all I needed.”
Maddy, who was originally from Tampa, began suffering from stomach symptoms in 2022 before she was ultimately diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.
Maddy was initially given five years to live, and that’s when she started a TikTok channel dedicated to documenting her journey with the illness. In one video, Maddy documented 19 of the 20 things on her bucket list that she wanted to cross off before her death.
That list included one item that made headlines, which was meeting chef Gordon Ramsay.
Maddy got to do exactly that when the two had dinner together at one of Gordon’s Florida restaurants. Maddy was then invited to the opening of Gordon’s new restaurant Lucky Cat in South Beach.
“I’m truly at a loss for words by the sad news we received today about the loss of (Madison),” Gordon said following news of her death. “She was kind, fun, and a true inspiration to me and my three girls. Knowing we were able to make one of her dreams come true will always be cherished by me.”
What was Maddy Baloy’s cause of death?
Although she was initially given five years to live, Maddy’s colon cancer ultimately took her life just two years after her diagnosis.
In the final video she posted on TikTok from March 2024, she bravely showed off the tumors covering her body as she filmed from Japan.
“Hi my name is Madison and I have stage four terminal cancer, and I haven’t taken a bath in a year,” she said in the video.
“My cancer is in my large intestine, my small intestine, my uterus, my ovaries, basically the entire lower half of my body is filled up with cancer. Because of that, I had to have an emergency surgery to receive a colostomy [bag],” she continued.
“The only thing that I can think of is how amazing a bath would feel,” she added. “This house happens to have the most beautiful bath that I’ve ever seen. But because I have a colostomy, I haven’t taken a bath in a year.”
Maddy leaves behind a family who loved her, and millions of supporters whose lives were touched by her videos.
