A Florida-based TikTok influencer who documented her battle with a rare form of bile duct cancer has died at the age of 29. Kaelin Bradshaw’s husband, Austin, announced the tragic news in an update to her TikTok account on Wednesday, October 29. Austin said that the TikTok star died on Monday, October 27.
“From the moment Kaelin was diagnosed, she was devastated, but also determined,” Austin said. “She promised me and our family she was going to fight and never give up.”
“She fulfilled her promise, but unfortunately, her disease progressed beyond her body’s ability to keep fighting,” he added.
Austin further said that his wife died holding his hand around 1 am. “She was not in pain, and her room was surrounded by the love and compassion of our entire family,” he said. “She was not alone, nor was she ever alone throughout this entire journey.”
“Her family and I were next to her at all times, behind the camera, in ears reach,” Austin added.
Bradshaw’s father, Mark, also confirmed the news in a moving social media video. The Instagram video, which included sweet photos of Bradshaw, is captioned, “It is with a heavy heart, we lost our beloved angel today. Thank you for the love , prayers and support that everyone has shown our family, it means more now than ever. Kaelin- Your light touched so many people , and your memory will forever shine in our hearts. Rest in peace my love you will be dearly missed.”
Who was Kaelin Bradshaw?
Bradshaw shared her cancer journey with her TikTok followers by sharing videos from the hospital and documenting her treatment. She and Austin created a GoFundMe earlier this month, where they mentioned that Bradshaw had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma, a type of cancer that forms in the bile ducts that carry the digestive fluid bile.
“Since my diagnosis, my husband has been working two jobs just to keep up with everything – the medical bills, the house bills, and all the unexpected costs that seem to pile up faster than we can manage. We also need to travel for more treatment options, which adds even more stress to an already heavy situation,” Bradshaw shared in the GoFundMe, adding that she was in hospice care.
Bradshaw praised her husband in her final video on TikTok, posted on October 16. “He’s stayed with me every single night I’ve been in the hospital and somehow managed to juggle two jobs on top of that,” she wrote of Austin. “He even sold his truck and boat just to help ease the financial pressure on both of us.”
“I really want to take some of that stress off his shoulders so he can focus on just being here with me,” she added. “We’re also hoping to take a trip together as soon as I get the green light to start my next treatment, and we’d love to be financially ready when that time comes.”