She Shared Her Experience With A Terminal Illness On TikTok Before Sadly Passing Away
This past year, TikTok users all around the world fell in love with Therese Alexander, otherwise known as Teed, a woman who bravely shared her story before passing away due to ALS in October.
“Hi, I’m Teed, and I’m terminal,” the Australian native would start off each of her videos by saying.
Teed was an incredibly athletic and outgoing woman with two daughters. She could be found at the gym every day, training and living life to the fullest.
Although she was super fit and healthy, she began to notice her strength was starting to dwindle. It all started while she was trying on clothes at her local K-Mart and struggled to get items back onto their hangers. Eventually, she could feel a loss of strength all around her body and decided to go to the doctor.
After a series of tests, the first doctor Teed went to told her that she was suffering from anxiety. But Teed knew something else was going on, so she got a second opinion.
This was when she found out she had Motor Neuron Disease (MND), otherwise known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in the United States.
For those who may not be aware, this disease causes a person’s muscles to gradually lose their functionality. It is a fatal disease with no cure.
“My first thought was, ‘I’m not ready to leave my kids,'” says Teed in one of her videos. “Then I thought, ‘What am I gonna do?'”
That’s when Teed decided to make the most out of every day by always finding moments of joy. Whether it be something like going out for a cup of coffee with a loved one or heading to the beach, she would make every moment count.
WavebreakMediaMicro – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
Teed first started gaining attention on TikTok in April 2022 after making a video about how quickly her life changed after her diagnosis.
Once the video went viral, Teed made tons of videos about how she was doing, her candid thoughts on dying, and advice on how to treat someone who is terminal.
For instance, Teed made a vulnerable video about how there is guilt that comes with knowing you’re going to die.
“I feel guilty about leaving my kids behind, I feel guilty about people having to change their lives to help me, I feel guilty about even having to ask for a blanket,” explains Teed. “I’ve always taken care of them, and now they’re taking care of me.”
Although many of Teed’s videos are discussing something incredibly sad, she still found time to joke around and look on the bright side of things.
She even made a video about five positive things that come with being terminal – as wild as that sounds!
Some of Teed’s top five best things about dying were that she could spend as much money as she wanted, indulge in the foods she loved and that she didn’t have to make any more New Year’s resolutions.
As her disease progressed, Teed continued to make videos and shared her thoughts as she transitioned from living at home into a hospice care facility.
By the time October came around, she could feel herself weaken and honestly told her followers that she knew she would be dying in a matter of weeks.
On October 24th, Teed posted her final TikTok video with one of her daughters.
“This will be my final video for TikTok,” she says. “I’m at peace, and I feel ready to let go and just enjoy what little time I have left with my beautiful family and friends.”
Teed passed away three days later at the age of 54. Her daughters have told her followers that she died peacefully and was surrounded by loved ones. Teed had a son who died 29 years prior, and she died on his birthday.
“We can all draw strength from her courage and bravery, but now it’s time to rest,” her daughters wrote on TikTok. “Forever inspired by you, forever loving you, forever in our memories.”
Rest in peace, Teed. Thank you for inspiring us.
To view Teed’s TikTok page, visit the link here.
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