TikTok star Harrison Gilks, who used the app to highlight experiences on his bucket list after being diagnosed with cancer, has died at age 18, his family announced.
Gilks passed away on March 30 at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in New Brunswick, Canada, according to an online obituary.
“Harrison was an inspiration to many. His smile could light up a room, his laugh could cheer anyone up,” the obituary reads. “He was our sunshine on a cloudy day. He always found good in every situation and touched the lives of many with his messages of hope and encouragement through his TikTok videos, where he chronicled and shared his journey with cancer with the world.”
Gilks’ younger brother, David, also shared the news in a video on his sibling’s TikTok account, which has more than 300,000 followers. “He was not in pain when he passed away and he was with his family,” David said.
Gilks was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma — a rare form of soft-tissue cancer — in November 2020. He was briefly cancer-free after receiving treatment, but the disease returned and was confirmed to be terminal last June, Gilks said in a TikTok update at the time.
In that same video, Gilks announced he would begin using his channel to document him checking items off of his bucket list. Gilks’ posts in the subsequent months showed him visiting Mexico, walking on the field before a Los Angeles Rams game and meeting players on the Montreal Canadians.
In a final post from a hospital bed last month, Gilks asked his supporters to pray from him and his family, saying, “It’s been a great ride with you guys on the bucket list.”
A funeral is scheduled to take place Thursday afternoon in New Brunswick.