{"id":6073,"date":"2026-04-05T16:30:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T16:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/?p=6073"},"modified":"2026-04-05T16:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T16:30:09","slug":"the-first-warning-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/?p=6073","title":{"rendered":"The first warning signs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tanner and his wife Shay first met when he was serving as a missionary in Mesa, Arizona, and she was just 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They reconnected after Shay had completed her own missionary service, and their friendship quickly blossomed into a romantic relationship within a few months. The couple tied the knot after about nine months together, with Shay at 22 and Tanner at 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a recent appearance on The Unplanned Podcast<\/em>, Shay spoke publicly for the first time about Tanner\u2019s earliest symptoms, which appeared long before anyone suspected cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tanner began experiencing digestive issues in the summer of 2020, including trouble sitting and blood in his stool, which prompted multiple visits to doctors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe began dealing with persistent bowel and stomach issues,\u201d Shay explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe initially assumed they were minor or stress-related.\u201d She added that Tanner also struggled with discomfort when sitting for long periods, a detail that only made sense after doctors identified the tumor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A colonoscopy revealed a large tumor blocking his colon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember sitting in the hospital with Tanner. He was coming off anesthesia, and you know he\u2019s always a little goofy, but this time it was different. The doctor comes in, pulls up a chair, puts his hand on Tanner\u2019s leg, and says, \u2018Do you go by Tanner?\u2019 And I\u2019m thinking, \u2018This is\u2026 weird.\u2019 Tanner, still groggy, nods, \u2018Yeah, I go by Tanner.\u2019 The doctor says, \u2018Okay\u2026 we weren\u2019t able to complete the colonoscopy. About 10 centimeters in, there was a huge mass. We couldn\u2019t get past it.\u2019 I was in shock, and then I just started crying, because when you hear \u2018tumor,\u2019 you immediately think cancer. Tanner was stunned \u2014 took him a little while before he even started crying,\u201d Shay said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Further tests confirmed stage 4 cancer with spread to the liver. Tanner underwent at least six major surgeries, around 40 minor procedures under anesthesia, more than 50 rounds of chemotherapy, and 11 weeks of radiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cost of treatment was staggering \u2014 estimated at $3 million in one year \u2014 but insurance covered most of it, leaving them with only about $5,000 in co-pays during their best insurance year, Shay shared during the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even in hospice, Tanner remained strong-willed, refusing to stay still and wanting to be fully present until the very end. He created a TikTok video sharing insights on how to support someone with a terminal illness, which went viral and resonated deeply with viewers. Tanner passed away at home, surrounded by family and loved ones, after his breathing changed and he took his final breaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His funeral was streamed live, watched by over 31,000 people during the ceremony and roughly 54,000 in total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his prerecorded farewell, Tanner thanked his supporters for helping make his final years \u201cfun and enjoyable,\u201d despite the immense challenges of treatment. He ended with a heartfelt message encouraging empathy and compassion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBe kind to each other, assume good intent in other people, and you guys will just have a happy life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a big health concern in the U.S., with about 154,000 new cases expected in 2025. It\u2019s the third most common cancer and a leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Shay continues to honor her husband\u2019s legacy, sharing his story to raise awareness about early warning signs and inspire others to advocate for their health.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tanner and his wife Shay first met when he was serving as a missionary in Mesa, Arizona, and she was just 17. They reconnected after Shay had… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6073"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6075,"href":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6073\/revisions\/6075"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsnowtrendi.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}