Social media has given us a lot of things, most of them vapid and plastered with filters. But every now and then it can blossom into something beautiful. Something more real than what an algorithm could engineer. Andree Greig Baudoin had been sharing her life online for four years, a life that centered around her cancer battle, her family, her faith and her fight.
She built a community around her honesty. And before she left, she sat down one final time and recorded a message for the people who had been with her through all of it. She was 39 years old, and she was not afraid.
Social media has its moments when it can become a platform for good
Andree Greig Baudoin used her social media accounts to document her 4 year battle with cancer
Andree was diagnosed with stage four triple negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease, with fewer targeted treatment options than other types and a significantly lower survival rate. She documented the journey from the beginning online, initially starting the account so her children could follow her journey and have a record of it.
What she did not expect was what it would become. "I didn't realize what I would gain from it," she said. The account became her diary, her outlet, her way of processing something that most people would struggle to speak about at all, let alone in front of a camera for thousands of strangers.
Before her journey came to an end, she made sure to send one last message to her family and followers
She tried everything from conventional treatment to a trip to Mexico for alternative care. She did bee sting therapy, different diets, different medications. You name it, she did it, and took us along for the journey. "There's not a thing I have not tried," she said. "I'm really proud of myself for that because I didn't know how strong I was until this came upon me."
When her oncologist told her in June that she had weeks to live, Andree did what she had always done, and she pushed back. "You say three weeks, but I say three months," she told him. He agreed to aim for three months. She surpassed his prediction. In her final weeks, she recorded a six-minute video from her home where she was calm, clear and completely herself.
She explained that she was not afraid, just sad for all the things in her family's life that she would be missing
She explained that she would be spending her final days in a hospice rather than at home, a decision she had made deliberately and with characteristic thoughtfulness. "I don't want to pass at home," she said. "I want this home to be a place of life. I don't want them to think about death when they're here."
She was not scared of what came next, but what broke her heart was what she would miss. "I'll never be able to see my son get married, my daughter get married. I'll never be able to meet my grandchildren. I'll never be able to grow old with my husband, who I love dearly."
She chose to move to hospice for her final days, wanting to avoid any negative memories to be tied to her home
After four years of showing up, of being honest, of letting people into the hardest chapter of her life, Andree had one final thing she wanted to say. It was about cancer or about treatment or prognosis or the unfairness of it all. Something simpler and more lasting than any of that.
"My biggest, biggest wish is that you don't take your health and what's in front of you for granted," she said. "Enjoy the day in front of you." She thanked her TikTok family for loving her, praying for her and rooting for her through every unconventional thing she tried. She said the platform had become therapeutic and a place she turned to, a place that turned back and held her.
Andree Greig Baudoin's passed away in hospice in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Saturday. Attendees of her funeral were asked to wear colourful attire because even at the end, she wanted colour. She wanted life in all its forms.
Triple negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of the disease; it grows faster, spreads faster and has fewer targeted treatment options than other types of breast cancer because it does not respond to hormone therapy or HER2-targeted treatments. The five-year survival rate for stage four triple negative breast cancer sits at approximately 12 to 15%, compared to around 32 to 33% for all stage four breast cancer types combined.
The symptoms of metastatic breast cancer are not always the obvious ones, and beyond lumps, women should be aware of constant, overwhelming fatigue that does not improve with rest, unexplained weight loss, persistent loss of appetite, and nausea.
Early detection remains the most powerful tool available, and if something feels different in your body, it is always worth getting checked. Andree's final wish was that nobody take their health for granted. The least we can do is listen to her.
Watch the moving farewell here
People in the comments had nothing but well wishes for this brave mother and her family
