Featured Image Credit: Instagram/phelann.annaa
Topics: US News, Health, Cancer, Social Media
Olivia Burke
Topics: US News, Health, Cancer, Social Media
US influencer Anna Grace Phelan shared a heartbreaking final post shortly before her tragic death just days ago.
The 19-year-old, from Georgia, passed away a year after she was diagnosed with an aggressive and inoperable brain tumour, her family announced on Saturday (24 May).
She had candidly shared details of her cancer journey throughout the past 12 months, seeing her accumulate more than 140,000 followers across on TikTok.
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In a post announcing her death, Anna's loved ones paid tribute to the 'beautiful soul' while thanking the online community who rallied around her for their continued support.
The statement shared to the Facebook page titled 'Anna's Fight' read: "It is with great sadness to announce that our beautiful daughter, Anna Grace Phelan, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
"So many of you have followed her journey through a difficult battle with cancer and bore witness to her powerful testimony of faith.
"Thank you for the countless thousands of prayers for healing and peace," it continued. "May we all rejoice with the assurance that she is in Heaven now, and she has been healed.
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"Let us also remember that the only path to the promised kingdom of Heaven is through salvation in Jesus Christ. Details of the funeral arrangements to follow. God bless her beautiful soul.
"John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
In September last year, Anna revealed she had been diagnosed with a brain tumour just days before she was set to start her university studies and explained she had been experiencing a series of worrying symptoms.
The teen said she had been dealing with persistent vision problems, issues with her balance, and numbness in the left side of her face and her right leg.
"I started losing my balance," Anna explained in one clip. "I started having vision problems in my left eye, my numbness in my face and on my leg is still here. My speech started to seem weird. My head's very foggy."
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She underwent a MRI scan, which revealed there was a lesion on her brain, before a biopsy was then taken.
Anna, a devout Christian, was subsequently diagnosed with grade four glioblastoma - which she said was the 'hardest news she had ever received'.
"By all means, this is not easy," she told her 143,000 TikTok followers. "Just going to trust in the Lord and try and keep pushing forward."
The influencer continued to update her army of supporters on her condition right up until the very end, with her last post being just ten days ago.
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In one of the final videos she shared on 14 May, Anna heartbreakingly explained that her health had taken a turn for the worse.
"Things haven't been good," Anna explained. "My tumour grew and it's in the area where I can't breathe. It can't be operated.
"So, I just wanted to say thank you for all the prayers. It would take a miracle, but I'm not giving up yet. If you keep praying for me, I think that I'll make it."
She is survived by her parents - William 'Buddy' Phelan and Nadine Phelan - as well as her brother, Harper David Phelan.
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Thousands of people have shared their condolences for the Phelan family online, while praising Anna's unwavering resilience during the fight of her life.
One person said: "Balling my eyes out. I didn’t know her in person. She was such a beautiful soul and a light in this world. She made such an impact. I’m so sorry for your loss."
Another wrote: "Anna’s faith was so inspiring may she rest in heavenly peace, free from all the pain."
And a third added: "I came from TikTok, I was praying hard for this gorgeous girl. You could tell through her videos that she was a fighter! I am so sorry for your loss. She truly did touch my heart."
A funeral service for Anna will take place on Thursday (29 May) at the Galilee Christian Church in Jackson County, Georgia.