| Like Tanner Martin, I’m a young adult living with Stage 4 cancer — a club no one asks to join, but one I’ve found unexpected connection in. I came across Tanner and his wife Shay’s TikToks during a long, scanxiety-filled night — the kind where sleep won’t come and the weight of the unknown seeps in. I was immediately struck by their rawness as they navigated the complicated duality of preparing for the end of life while also preparing to bring new life into the world. Their social media videos offered an unfiltered window into what it means to be young and seriously ill while also showing people what cancer can and cannot take. As someone who’s also shared parts of my own diagnosis journey — including through a comic about what it took to get doctors to listen to my concerns — I was drawn to their willingness to speak the hard truths out loud. For the past six months, I set out to document both the joyful and the messy moments of their lives — hoping to show people the true, often unseen impacts of cancer. But as a fellow patient, I found myself deeply moved and, in many ways, changed by what I witnessed. Tanner reminded me that living with terminal cancer isn’t just about survival. It’s about carving out space for joy, for meaning, for a sense of control — even when so much feels uncertain. Reporting this story made me feel less alone. And I hope it does the same for other young cancer patients, too. | 
