A football fanatic whose final weeks included an emotional journey to see his beloved Cleveland Browns clinch their first postseason appearance in nearly two decades has died of complications from stage-four kidney cancer.
Tom Seipel, 39, passed away at his parents' home in Savannah, Georgia, on Saturday, it was reported.
The teacher and missionary had said he was diagnosed in 2018, and was told by doctors late last year that he likely had only a matter of weeks left.
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The Ohio State graduate shared his gripping and tragic story on a Browns forum on Reddit, where it caught the attention of the prominent Browns podcast, Dawgs of War.
Before long, Emily Mayfield, Baker's wife, became aware of a fundraiser that was launched to get Seipel to the Browns' regular-season finale against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Mayfield offered to host Seipel in her suite for the game after generous donors had raised over $100,000.
Seipel posted a series of photos and videos from the game on social media, including one where he shared a hug with Emily after the Browns sealed the momentous win, clinching their first playoff berth since the 2002 season.
"Every step of the way, I didn't think anything could possibly beat that," Seipel recalled.
Baker Mayfield later posted a video on Instagram, thanking Seipel for his support and calling him "extremely inspirational."
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