Photo: @itstaylorrousseau/Instagram
Influencer Taylor Rousseau Grigg shared a grim health update two months prior to her death.
Grigg, 25, participated in an eight-minute TikTok video, which included answering questions about why she looked "unhappy" on August 8.
“I know a lot of people have had a lot of opinions about my videos and some people have said I look unhappy … some people have opinions about what they think is wrong with me,” Grigg said while sitting in a camper. “The truth is, I’m not faking a smile like I’ve done in the past for the camera.”
The 25-year-old acknowledged the "pressure to succeed" as an influencer before revealing that she "got sick" with an undisclosed illness right after she and her husband, Cameron Grigg, were married in August 2023, which led to a noticeable change in her demeanor.
“I barely found out what was wrong with me, so I was just struggling that whole time feeling like I was going to die,” she said.
“That’s exactly what I told Cameron the other day, it just feels like I have to fight for life, to live every single day. And that’s hard on somebody and obviously that shows when I’m filming,” Taylor added. “I’m unhappy with the circumstances that my body is in but I’m kind of paying the consequences for my own actions for putting my body through more than it could handle.”
Cameron referred to his wife's passing as "so sudden and unexpected," however, didn't provide a cause of death in a tribute post shared on Saturday (October 5), but noted that she "dealt with more pain and suffering than most people do in a lifetime."
"No one ever expects to have to deal with this kind of pain and heartache, especially at our age," Cameron wrote. "This past year Taylor has dealt with more pain and suffering than most people do in a lifetime. And in spite of that she still has been such a light and always brought joy to everyone around her. She is the most brave and strong woman I know, and her confidence in the Lord outweighed every other circumstance she’s faced, even in her darkest hours. I know she’s saved my life and so many others out there.
"Her earthly body is still here with us being ran by machines to keep her organs viable for donation. More than anything Taylor would want to know that she’s continuing to save people’s lives even after she’s gone from this world. And even though her earthly body may have failed her, her memory and life will be carried on forever."
Cameron shared a link to a GoFundMe page launched to "help the family cover the costs" following Taylor's death, which has already raised more than $30,000 as of Sunday.
"It is with our deepest condolences that we acknowledge the passing of Taylor, who has now spread her wings," the GoFundMe states. "Her spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew her. At this time we would appreciate everyone’s respect and privacy for our family at this time. Her social media family was a huge blessing in her life and we cannot thank you all enough for the love and support that you have brought her.
"We are working on holding a benefit in Taylors honor as she would love to have everyone who loved her celebrate her life. More details will be soon to come."
Grigg had more than 1.4 million followers on her TikTok account and more than 210,000 followers on Instagram account.