The New England Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl with heavy hearts.
New England Patriots superfan Shelly Sepulveda will never get the chance to cheer on her team next month.
Sepulveda died Monday following a two-year battle with ovarian cancer. It came hours after the Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos and clinched a spot in Super Bowl LX, according to a GoFundMe page set up to support her family.
“Shelly was deeply loved, and her loss has left an unimaginable hole in her family and in everyone who knew her,” the GoFundMe page said. Sepulveda 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. The Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, California, on February 8. They will most certainly be playing in her honor.
“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 further stated.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft gifted tickets to Super Bowl 60 to Shelly Sepulveda on the field at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium. It was during New England’s Wild Card playoff round victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on January 11.
More On Patriots Superfan Shelly Sepulveda
Shelly was a former NICU nurse. With Tami by her side, they fostered more than 20 kids whose parents or caregivers were dealing with substance abuse issues. They eventually adopted five of those children. The couple, who had been together more than 23 years, also shares a biological son, Sam.
Sepulveda was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2024. According to Tami’s Facebook page, Shelly was hospitalized again on January 17 with “low blood counts.”
“It’s a constant battle, and it is survivorship and fighting for my life,” Shelly told Boston 25 News in January 2025.
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.”
The GoFundMe set up in Shelly Sepulveda’s name has already raised more than $35,000 at the time this story was published. Money from the fundraiser, which has so far raised over $35,000 of a $40,000 goal, will go towards Sepulveda’s funeral and memorial services, according to the GoFundMe page.
“We are asking for help during this incredibly difficult time to cover the costs of Shelly’s funeral and memorial services,” it said.
