New England Patriots superfan Shelly Sepulveda has died just weeks after the team gave her tickets to Super Bowl LX.
Sepulveda died of ovarian cancer at 1:51 a.m. on Monday, January 26, mere hours after the Patriots clinched a spot in Super Bowl LX. The Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, California, on February 8.
“She was a devoted wife to her wife, Tami, and an incredible mom to six wonderful kids who were the center of her world,” Sepulveda’s GoFundMe page said. “Shelly was deeply loved, and her loss has left an unimaginable hole in her family and in everyone who knew her.”
Shelly was gifted tickets to Super Bowl 60 by Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, on the field at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium during New England’s Wild Card playoff round victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on January 11.
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“When I’m here, I don’t think about cancer, I watch the Patriots,” Shelly told Kraft, 84, at the game, according to Boston 25 News.
Shelly, a former NICU nurse, and Tami fostered more than 20 kids whose parents or caregivers were dealing with substance abuse issues, eventually adopting five. The couple, who had been together more than 23 years, also share a biological son, Sam.
According to Tami’s Facebook page, Shelly was hospitalized again on January 17 with “low blood counts.”
Shelly was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2024.
“It’s a constant battle, and it is survivorship and fighting for my life,” Shelly told Boston 25 News in January 2025. “There’s a lot of people going through cancer that don’t have the support. And I do, and I’m lucky. I’m lucky I have the friends and family I have.”
She added, “I’m not a quitter, and I don’t want my kids to think I’m a quitter. But I want them to know it’s also okay for them to ask for help.”
Shelly’s children also shared their emotional reactions to their mother’s cancer diagnosis.
“When Mom came home told us she had cancer, she was crying,” Shelly’s daughter Tyler, 16, told Boston 25 News. “I was thinking, ‘What did she do to deserve this?’”
Shelly’s daughter Shaelin, 17, said, “I feel like I was in denial for a while, because it was such shocking news. She’s the person that took care of this house. So, it was very weird when people would offer help.”
The GoFundMe set up in Shelly’s name has already raised more than $28,000 at the time this story was published.
“We are asking for help during this incredibly difficult time to cover the costs of Shelly’s funeral and memorial services,” the site said. “Her passing was unexpected, and the financial burden has added so much stress to an already devastating loss.”
The page added, “Any donation, no matter the amount, will go directly toward funeral expenses and helping support Tami and the kids as they navigate this heartbreaking time. If you’re unable to donate, sharing this page or keeping the family in your thoughts means more than you know. Thank you for the overwhelming love, kindness, and support. It truly means everything.”