The couple recently found out they are expecting a baby, after undergoing IVF, and shared the joyful news that is wrapped up in "grief" on TikTok
A couple who has shared their journey after one of them was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the age of 25 has taken to social media to share happy news: they are having a baby.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, they say the excitement of the news is co-mingling with "grief, fear and anxiety."
Tanner Martin and Shay Wright have gone viral on TikTok since they began documenting Tanner's cancer journey. Tanner was just 25 years old when he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in November 2020 and, as he told PEOPLE in an earlier interview, was told in February 2023 that his cancer was no longer curable. Doctors estimated that he would have two to five years left.
The couple, who have been married for six years, shared just last week that they are having a baby, with Shay telling PEOPLE, "I'm due June 5."
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In a video posted to TikTok on Nov. 4, the couple shared a montage of videos taken in recent years. "Cancer has taken so much from us," text over the video reads.
"I know you wanted to be a dad so badly, but I got to see you be the best dog dad. We tried IVF and planned to have a baby, but sepsis and your cancer progressing prevented us. Until now," the video reads.
The video ends with the couple, in matching sweatsuits, holding newspapers that read, "Breaking News: Baby on the Way!" As confetti rains down, Shay takes a stroller while Tanner holds up an ultrasound image.
"Baby Martin: June 2025," the video reads.
"It's interesting because usually when people get pregnant they only have excitement for the future. While we are definitely excited, we are also experiencing grief, fear and anxiety," Shay says.
She continues: "This was a massive decision for us that took a couple years to decide. As I'm a mental health therapist, I'm very aware of the research of child development. But also aware of how to combat possible negative effects. But either way, it's going to be hard."
Shay explains that the couple began trying for a baby by using IVF treatments more than a year ago and because of Tanner's cancer treatment, couldn't get pregnant the traditional way.
The couple was hit with another roadblock when Tanner got sepsis and spent months in the hospital. "We waited about a year to do the transfer until Tanner was more stable on treatment and I was graduated from my masters program," Shay says.
Now, the couple is busy converting Tanner's Star Wars-themed man cave into a nursery -- and converting a different room into a space for Tanner, "so he can still have his own little place," Shay says, to relax after treatments.
On Nov. 8, the pair shared another video documenting their IVF journey and the discovery that they were in fact pregnant. There, followers flooded the comments with well-wishes for the pair and their baby-to-be.
"I've never been so happy for 2 strangers🙏🏼🤍," wrote one. "Yay a little piece of Tanner forever! God bless your little bundle of joy!🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼💕💕💕💕," added another.