'My 600-Lb. Life' Star Coliesa McMillian Dead at 41

Gone too soon. Coliesa McMillian, who appeared on season 8 of My 600-Lb. Life, died at the age of 41.

TMZ reported on Thursday, September 24, that the reality star passed away in Louisiana two days earlier. TLC confirmed the news via Twitter, noting, “TLC is saddened to learn of the loss of Coliesa McMillian, who shared her story on My 600lb Life. Our deepest condolences to her family at this difficult time.”

While her cause of death is unknown, she suffered a heart attack shortly before she appeared on the TLC series in March. An obituary shared online on Wednesday, September 23, stated that a memorial service is planned in Plaquemine, Louisiana, later that week.

'My 600-Lb. Life' Star Coliesa McMillian Dead at Age 41
TLC

McMillian weighed 643 pounds when she filmed her heartbreaking episode of My 600-Lb. Life. At the time, the mother of four had lost her fiancé in a car crash and turned to food to help her escape from reality. She developed the unhealthy coping mechanism early on in her life and was over 460 pounds by the time she was 25 years old.

“I wasted my life on food. Just the hunger and the need and the desire. It has taken over my life, and I am exhausted. I am exhausted from this life. Life like this is not life,” she said on the TLC show. “It feels like my body is trying to give up, I can feel it, but I can’t give up. I have to be here for my children.”

McMillian was determined to lose weight so that she could be there for her daughters, Hannah, Sadie, Kadelynn and Victoria. She opted to seek the help of a bariatric surgeon, who gave her guidance on leading a healthier life ahead of her elective surgery. By the end of her episode, McMillian had lost close to 150 pounds and was feeling “better than ever” about her future.

'My 600-Lb. Life' Star Coliesa McMillian Dead at Age 41
Facebook

Soon after her story was aired on the reality series, McMillian suffered complications from her surgery. In March, her niece Blair Shelton revealed via Facebook that her aunt was in a medically-induced coma and needed a ventilator.

The Louisiana native is survived by her daughters, parents, seven sisters and six brothers.

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source: usmagazine.com