'Born to be a dad': Star's tribute to late husband who died of pancreatitis four months after their son's birth

Brielle came to public attention on ‘Bookstagram’ in 2020, and she quickly begain gaining followers for her literary-based content, including reviews and title recommendations. She now has more than 20,000 followers.

Aside from her love of books, Brielle also shared her love for her husband Tyler and their newborn baby son Colby with her fans. She had met her future spouse shortly after joining Bookstagram, and they soon went on to get engaged and married in 2023. Colby, who was named after his dad’s mum’s maiden name, was born in August 2024.

But then, in January this year, when the couple had been married for a little over a year and Colby was only four-months-old, Tyler died from complications of pancreatitis.

Writing on Instagram days after his death, Brielle said of her late husband: “He was the most incredible man and father to our baby boy Colby. We didn’t get enough time together, but the time we had was the best of my life. He will live on in his sweet son, the mirror image of him.”

In the days and weeks after her husband’s death, Brielle turned to loved ones, including both of their families, for support. But, she also found her love of books helped her through her grief. She told People in a recent interview: “Reading is something I loved and I still want to love it, and I want it to be able to also be a form of escapism."

The social media star, who is in her mid-thirties, also told the publication that she has realised people "can be happy and sad at the same time in one day," even after losing a loved one. She controls both of those feelings by reading, usually a fantasy book, thriller or mystery.

In time, she returned to Instagram. But, she said she felt she couldn't just return to social media and keep recommending books as if nothing happened,” she said. "I felt weird about it. I was like ‘there has to be a way. I have to be able to also show my journey with what's going on or else it's just it's inauthentic to me’.” She then found many fans reached out to her to show their support or share their stories of loss and grief.

In the wake of Tyler’s death, Brielle’s loved ones set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds to help pay for “end of life expenses, daily expenses for Colby and any other financial challenges that arise as [she navigated the] difficult period.” The page has raised almost $100,000 at the time of writing, on the afternoon of Saturday June 14. Much of that has come from her ‘Bookstagram’ followers.

In response, Brielle wrote on her Instagram page: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out, donated to the GoFundMe or Colby’s college fund, sent diapers and so much more. I am overwhelmed (in a good way) with the love & support I have received. This community is incredible.”

In one of her most recent Instagram posts, Brielle shared a short video of her late husband cradling Colby after he was first born. In the caption, she praised him. “Tyler was born to be a dad. He only got 4 short months with his son, but he excelled at it,” she said.

She also spoke about her grief as she looks to the future, which will include her son’s first birthday in August. “Life keeps moving even when we try so hard to stop it. Grief is something we move forward with not on from. But everyday Colby & I try to honour Tyler’s legacy by living each day to the fullest.”

Pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed or swollen. Most people with pancreatitis start to feel better within about a week and have no further problems but some people with severe pancreatitis can go on to develop serious complications, according to the NHS.

Pancreatitis can be either acute or chronic. In the case of a chronic condition, the pancreas becomes permanently damaged from inflammation and stops working properly.