When Taylor Odlozil first came to TikTok, he was just looking for a way out. He didn’t start telling his family’s story until months later, when he discovered his wife Haley, 30, was “untreatable for her stage IIIC ovarian cancer.” “I’m the head of video at home. I’ve always loved expressing my feelings and sharing my thoughts on things through video,” Taylor told People.
“By October, we realized we had no choice but to let things happen naturally. Over the next few weeks, I shot a video showing memories of things we did together, and on Thanksgiving Published it.” Don’t miss a story—subscribe to PEOPLE magazine’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on what PEOPLE has to offer, from exciting celebrity news to compelling human stories.
“Before I posted anything about Thanksgiving, I had about 50 followers, and within a few hours, it went completely nuts and people started following like crazy. So I started posting more, and it eventually grew into what it is today. look,” he said.
Today, millions tune in to watch the family’s latest reminiscences, each beginning with the day’s date and Taylor’s reassurance that “Hayley is still fighting.”
In a sweet moment shared by the family recently, Hayley’s hospice nurse surprised Taylor and Weston with a special gift. Weston received a teddy bear recording Hayley’s heartbeat with sentimental words the two shared, while Taylor received a printed and framed copy of Hayley’s heartbeat.
“I kind of knew they were trying because they had to coordinate with me, but Hailey didn’t. They made an appointment to record her heartbeat without her knowing, and I knew what they were doing,” he said. “But little did I know they would end up giving me a printout of their heartbeat. It really broke my heart – I started crying when they gave me this.”
The touching gift came after a very emotional conversation between mother and son after Weston asked why she was going to heaven. The couple’s 4-year-old is “definitely starting to realize something’s going on,” Taylor said. Weston has fallen in love with the teddy bear, whom Hayley calls “Mama Bear.”