Ellen DeGeneres has made a heartfelt response to a boy who appeared on her show years ago, as news of his death was announced.
DeGeneres, who called him her ‘only boyfriend’, made a video message to speak about him.
Tayt Andersen was a huge fan of DeGeneres and appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show numerous times, when he shared he has a congenial heart condition.
According to a GoFundMe page for Andersen, he was born with half a heart, and went through 12 surgeries before he turned nine.
Then, when he was 10, he received a heart transplant but was diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoma.
In 2024, he was then diagnosed with bladder cancer, and in June this year, he had learned how it had spread to his pelvis, spine, abdomen, chest and neck.
Sadly, his prognosis was three to four months of life.
Ellen DeGeneres and Tayt Anderson were boyfriend/girlfriend (YouTube/TheEllenShow)
Andersen’s family revealed he passed away in the early hours of the morning after a battle with cancer on September 26.
The 67-year-old reacted to the news and spoke of their bond and his life.
“We had a very special guest on the show several times, and his name is Tayt,” she said in the clip. “And he thought that I was his girlfriend, and so I told him he was my boyfriend, which shocked my wife. But he was a very special little human being, and just brought joy and life and laughter into every room that he was in.
“I will miss him,” she said emotionally, and added some moments from their time together on the show at the end.
In response, Andersen’s mom, Chrissy Becker, commented, stating: “We love you so much. “Thank you for being his girlfriend you gave him so much strength.”
Andersen’s family had announced his death via an Instagram post on his page along with black and white photos.
Tayt sadly passed away at 19 following a cancer battle (YouTube/TheEllenShow)
The post read: “Our hearts are absolutely shattered as we share the news we never wanted to write: Our sweet, strong warrior, Tayt, was released from his bodily prison early this morning, at 1:30 a.m. CT, surrounded by the fierce love of his family.
“While our souls feel shattered and lost by this unimaginable grief, we are so thankful that Tayt is finally free. No more pain, no more appointments, no more treatments.”
It continued: “Tayt was loved by so many, and he impacted countless lives with his incredible smile, his quiet strength, his kindness, and his beautiful love.
“Last weekend, after taking a turn for the worse due to an infection, Tayt fought one last battle. He was so alert and responsive on Sunday, but by the night, he was in pain. After a long night, he finally found peace and drifted off to sleep around 4:00 a.m. Monday. He remained asleep and unresponsive, resting comfortably, until he passed away peacefully early this morning.
“Yesterday, we spent the day calling and FaceTiming family so they could say their goodbyes. We made sure to get his handprint—a small way to hold on to him— we watched his favorite movies, read his favorite stories. We knew Tayt time was limited but we honestly just weren’t ready to lose him.”
The family ended the message with wishes for everyone to hold the family close in their thoughts, writing: “Please keep Chrissy, Tayt, and our family in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this crushing grief. There are truly no words to describe this pain; we are just moving through this painful process, grateful for every moment we had with our amazing boy. Please give us grace during this time.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.unilad.com ’
