Fans of TikTok influencer Uncle Steve awoke on June 7 to the heartbreaking news that he had died. In a video shared on his Instagram, his brother-in-law Mike delivered the terrible news. The YouTuber grew to notoriety by emphasizing the lesser-known elements of life with Down syndrome, particularly as an adult. He has 226.1k followers on the network and his films have over 4.3 million likes since his debut video was released on January 1, 2021. Uncle Steve, or ‘UncleSteveTok,’ also often shows his love of pizza, cakes, flavored water in his favorite water cup, and Wheel of Fortune, earning the hearts of many people throughout the globe.
Uncle Steve has passed Away
Uncle Steve’s brother-in-law Mike heaved hard as he spoke in an emotional video relaying the heartbreaking news:
“Hello, my name is Mike, and I’m Steve’s brother-in-law. I regret to inform you that Steve died peacefully this morning. I simply wanted to thank everyone that Steve adored, [for] TikTok, he loved the videos, it was something he did almost every day for many hours.”
He went on:
“We just appreciate what everyone has done. [Everyone] who contributed to this TikTok, watched, followed, and offered their thanks and apologies, we really appreciate it. But he was in a lot of suffering, and he’s certainly in a better place, as they say. We’re suffering, but we know he’s doing OK. Thank you one again.”
The TikTok died as a result of an unspecified ailment he had been suffering for the last week. On Wednesday, June 1, his niece tweeted a video asking his fans to pray for his recovery:
“Hello, if you follow Uncle Steve, I just wanted to let you know that he has experienced some medical setbacks and is now very ill. He is at home, being loved on (sic) by Mike and Jennifer, and we would appreciate any prayers and positive thoughts you could send his way.”
The comments area was inundated with approximately 3000 messages expressing worry for Uncle Steve’s health and anxiously requesting updates.
Fans pay homage to the influencer with memorials.
Although TikTok is not especially recognized for its object permanence, sometimes feeding into this generation’s extraordinarily transient attention spans, certain platform influencers break the pattern and leave a lasting imprint in the hearts and minds of their fans.
Uncle Steve was one such figure who touched the hearts of his over 200k followers and was often referred to be the ‘highlight of their day.’ Several followers paid homage to the beloved TikToker, recalling how he never failed to bring joy into their lives.
@Sarahhh, a TikTok user, wrote:
“I was crying while holding my 6-month-old Down syndrome kid. We like his movies because they gave us a peek into our son’s future.”
Why is the first video I see when I open TikTok one telling us Uncle Steve died 😭
— 🪴❤️ (@shawnaroseee) June 7, 2022
Another user, @Mackenzie, added:
“I’m really sad to hear this. He gave so much delight to all of us!! I’ll be praying for you all!”
@Erika, a third user, prayed:
“May the sky’s lunchtime goblin deliver him pizza for every meal. Consider your family. Thank you for introducing us to him.”
Over 24k comments have been left on the announcement video, expressing condolences and wishing Uncle Steve an everlasting supply of his favorite pizzas and limitless margaritas in heaven.