A teenager who was a popular guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show has died after a long health battle and cancer diagnosis.
Anderson was born with only the right side of his heart, undergoing underwent 12 surgeries by the time he was nine.
Anderson was born with only the right side of his heart, undergoing 12 surgeries by the time he was nine.
He had a heart transplant at just ten years old which lead to post-transplant lymphoma in his teens.
He was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2024 at 18.
By the summer of 2025, the cancer had spread to his pelvis, spine, abdomen, chest and neck, according to the GoFundMe page his family set up to pay for hospice care.
He was given just four months to live.
Three months later, his family announced his death on September 26 when he was just 19 years old.
In their tribute to him his family wrote: ‘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.
Tayt was loved by so many, and he impacted countless lives with his incredible smile, his quiet strength, his kindness, and his beautiful love.’
When he was born, doctors said he would live for no more than three months.
Despite his health struggles, Tayt lived a full life. He traveled, graduated high school, and acted as a beacon to countless families just like his.
Anderson first appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2013 after the host learned that the then seven-year-old loved her show and referred to her as his ‘girlfriend.’
She told Tayt that he was her ‘only boyfriend.’
His mother Chrissy Becker explained that the boy loved to turn on DeGeneres’s show during his hospital visits. He even made his doctors and nurses watch with him.
She said they had to schedule their visits around the show’s air time and he would tell doctors to leave if they came in while he was watching.
Andersen appeared on the show several times, most notably in 2015 when he stopped by to tell her that he had finally got a new heart.
Chrissy told DeGeneres that her show and her support lifted Anderson’s spirits, even helping him recover quickly during rough hospital stays.
He was also a fan of Ellen’s character Dory and adopted her mantra ‘just keep swimming’ throughout his treatment.
Even doctors knew how much she had helped her son.
Chrissy said: ‘They have noticed that when Tayt struggles you always seem to come in and give him the boost that he needs.’
Throughout their appearances on the show, Ellen and her team sponsored Andersen’s family with money, gifts, vacations, iPads, and even a new car.
After hearing about his death, DeGeneres posted a video talking about how much he’d meant to her.
She said: ‘He was a very special little human being. Just brought joy and life and laughter into every room that he was in. And I will miss him.’