The influencer community is mourning a devastating loss.
TikToker Natasha Allen, who documented her four-year battle with stage 4 synovial cancer on the platform, has died at age 28.
“Natasha was a beautiful soul full of love, kindness, and joy,” read a statement posted on Natasha’s TikTok and Instagram Aug. 23, which also featured a photo of her smiling. “She touched countless hearts and she was a big advocate for synovial sarcoma awareness. Her spirit will continue to inspire all who had the privilege of knowing her. Any donations will go towards her service, any remaining funds will go towards synovial sarcoma research.”
The announcement ended with a quote from Natasha that read, “Find meaning in your own life, find what makes you happy, find how you can make the world around you better.”
Natasha’s mother and caretaker Sabina also celebrated her daughter’s life, including sharing a sweet video of them bonding at a Megan Thee Stallion show.
Indeed, the content creator used her social media platforms to bring awareness to her illness. In her TikTok from last April, Natasha revealed that she was diagnosed with stage 3 synovial sarcoma—a rare, slow-growing cancer that affects the soft tissues, according to the Cleveland Clinic—in 2020, after doctors found a tumor in her knee.
After multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and tumor extractions, Natasha went into remission that following year. However, months later, her CT scans showed the cancer had returned and spread to her lungs, advancing her illness to stage 4. By late 2021, she underwent numerous treatments, which she noted helped “stabilize” and “shrink” a few of her tumors.
But despite the slight progress, tumors continued to appear in other parts of her lungs.
“Synovial sarcoma is so under researched that the numbers change all the time,” Natasha explained in the TikTok video. “Officially, I have a 15 percent chance of being alive for five years after being diagnosed with stage 4. Me, however, I’m gonna be different. I’m putting that out in the universe.”
And while the numerous treatments took a toll on her, she felt confident to fight the illness with the help of her loved ones.
“Honestly, it’s hard a lot of the days,” she continued. “But being with family, being with friends, and focusing on what matters really grounds you. Even though I have this rare cancer, I still want to live my life.”
