NEED TO KNOW
TikToker Kayla Faber’s husband Gary has died, five years after being diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer.
The influencer announced the news in a video shared on TikTok on Aug. 22, writing that, “Gary is no longer in pain.” The news came shortly after she told her followers earlier in the week that he had been hospitalized.
Since Gary was diagnosed with cancer five years ago, he and his wife have actively shared his health journey on social media, including the various treatment trials he tried and his life as a parent to their two young daughters, Emily and June.
Alongside the news of his death, Kayla shared a video the late dad filmed before he died, where he described his “final wish.”
“I’m reaching out to ask you guys to help me look after my family when I’m gone,” Gary said. “I started a GoFundMe account. If there is anything you guys can do to help my family in this time of need, my wife’s not going to be OK, and so I don’t foresee her being able to take care of things for a little bit.”
“Any little bit helps,” Gary added, noting that their family has lived off a fixed income. “Even your prayers — if you can’t help out financially, send some kind words out there.”
kaylafaber7/TikTok
Continued Gary in the clip: “I don’t know if you’ve ever lost anybody, but I actually lost my dad when I was young, and that’s why I’ve been holding on as long as I can for my girls.”
In the comments, followers and friends posted tributes to the late internet star.
“Gary was truly an inspiration to a lot. I will not take the time I spend with my son for granted. Thank you for sharing Gary’s journey with us all. And I am terribly sorry for your loss,” wrote one.
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“I have dreaded this news. I will keep the family close in my heart and thoughts. We will all miss you Gary! Sending lots of love,” another shared.
kaylafaber7/TikTok
Last summer, after receiving the news that he likely had less than a year to live, Gary posted the heartbreaking video he had filmed for his 9-year-old daughter to watch on her wedding day, telling her through tears, “I wish I could be there to dance with you.”
Gary and Kayla wed 13 years ago, welcoming two daughters over the next decade. Kayla’s earliest videos on the platform, where she now has over 846,000 followers, date back to April.
In another video posted after his death, Kayla wrote of her husband: “In typical Gary fashion, all he cared about in life and death is that his girls will be okay.”
