Maddy Baloy, TikTok Influencer Who Inspired Millions, Dead At 26 Following Colon Cancer Fight: 'She Was So Special'
Maddy Baloy, an online content creator known for chronicling her struggle against advanced colon cancer on TikTok, passed away on May 1.
She was 26.
The TikTok community is mourning the loss of the luminary, whose death was confirmed by her fiancé Louis Risher.
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"Maddy passed away peacefully last night," Risher shared with PEOPLE on Thursday. "She is so special. I turned 27 yesterday, actually. I was holding her hand all day and that's all I needed."
In the moments preceding her death, Baloy was enveloped in affection, her fiancé emphasized.
@fruitsnackmaddy bf using for the first time in Japan HAHA ♬ original sound - madison
She is survived by her parents, Carissa and Lucky Talmege, and her brother Dylan.
The content creator, who served as an educator at Shore Acres Elementary in Florida, garnered an online following by openly chronicling her health odyssey following her diagnosis in 2023. Doctors told her she would survive a maximum of five years.
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@fruitsnackmaddy the squeeze x madison baloy: we're all terminal my first podcast appearance :) streaming now! #cancer #stageivcancer #podcast #thesqueeze #taylautner #taylorlautner #thesqueezepodcast ♬ Little Life - Cordelia
"I knew I had a lot to say," she told PEOPLE in March. "My mind shifted, and I was like, 'I am going to get every ounce of life that I can out of this.' "
With an audience approaching half a million across her social platforms, Baloy's impactful content resonated deeply. Among her most cherished creations was a poignant vlog from January, where she candidly grappled with the distressing update of her tumors' growth, all while engaging in the therapeutic act of cooking and revealing her bucket list. The list included getting a "green thumb," being on stage at a music festival and meeting Gordon Ramsay.
Her wish to meet the renowned chef came true, as she met Ramsay in Miami at one of his Hell's Kitchen restaurants.
Ramsay, 57, called Baloy "kind, fun and a true inspiration to me and my three girls," in an Instagram post. "Knowing we were able to make one of her dreams come true will always be cherished by me. She'll always be my first [and] last dance in the kitchen and never forgotten. Sending all our love to her fiancé and family."
