Antwain Lee Fowler died at age 6 following a lifelong battle with autoimmune enteropathy, according to his mom, Christina. His exact cause of death was not immediately revealed.
“I tried hiding you from the world early on but couldn’t. You were meant to be seen,” she wrote on her son’s Instagram account Monday, November 22, 2021. “My precious babyyyyy.”
She shared a series of posts on his Instagram page in the days and weeks leading up to his death, saying he had been in and out of the hospital, in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and even shared a video of him giving himself his own COVID-19 test.
Fowler, of Miami, Florida, was known best for a video where he asked “Where we about to eat at?” as he was leaving the hospital. At age 4, he looked disapprovingly away from the camera and slumped into his car seat.
He had nearly 250,000 followers on his YouTube channel and more than 650,000 followers on Instagram.
Here’s what you need to know:
Fowler Was Diagnosed With Autoimmune Enteropathy, or AIE, as an Infant
Fowler was diagnosed with a rare disorder called autoimmune enteropathy, or AIE, as an infant in 2015, according to a GoFundMe page started to raise funds for his family.
“AIE is a rare immune deficiency disorder that attacks your intestines,” the page says.
Fowler’s mom, who uses the name China on social media, shared a series of posts on Instagram expressing her heartbreak at the loss of her son.
“My god I just cannot believe it. This is unbelievable man. I’m tryin soooooo hard so so hard but I can’t dodge the feeling… God you really did a number on me. I didn’t deserve to be left empty like this. A huge whole in my heart. The strength I had left with you baby. Still haven’t grasped the fact that you actually left me Baby. Come back I need you.”
Fowler Spent Much of His Short Life in the Hospital & Had More Than 25 Surgeries
The boy’s battle with the disease caused him to be hospitalized “a countless number of times” and he underwent more than 25 surgeries, his GoFundMe page says.
“Like normal infants Antwain was unable to drink milk, or eat solid foods during his earlier childhood,” the page says.
Fowler spent a large part of 2021 in the hospital, according to his mom’s Instagram page. She wrote July 29, 2021, that he was leaving the hospital after more than four months.
“And we’re out,” she wrote. “He hasn’t been outside in so long he say can you ask god to turn the sun down. 4 1/2 months is tooo long but we’re finally leaving thank God and thank you all for the continuous love and support from the bottom of my heart.”
Fowler’s first viral video was filmed when he was leaving the hospital, according to his GoFundMe page. At the time the video was filmed in September 2019, he was 4 years old.
“From the moment Antwain was released from the hospital he wanted to know one thing, ‘Where we bout to eat at,’ which is what the entire world finds themselves asking quite often,” the GoFundMe page says.
In his last video, he teaches his fans some karate moves with sound effects, and shares some wisdom.
“If somebody hits you, you can always get back up,” he says.
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