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A popular TikTok personality and mother has sadly passed away at the age of 47 due to complications from a tummy tuck surgery she had been openly sharing with her followers.
Rachel Tussey was documenting her cosmetic surgery journey on TikTok, where she had amassed over 25,000 followers, posting updates in the days leading up to her scheduled surgery on February 25.
In a video recorded shortly before the procedure, the mother of three appeared optimistic and ready for the surgery.
“Please pray. I know it’s going to be great. I’ve waited a really long time for this,” she expressed to her audience. “I’m in good hands. I know God’s got my back. Let’s do this.”
The video showed Tussey sitting in a hospital bed wearing a medical gown, alongside the caption ‘#midlifeglowup #mommymakeover.’
However, her husband, Jeremy Tussey, revealed that what was expected to be a standard cosmetic operation quickly turned into a devastating ordeal.
TikTok star mom Rachel Tussey has tragically died after suffering complications following a tummy tuck procedure she had documented for thousands of followers online
Tussey had shared her cosmetic surgery journey with more than 25,000 fans on TikTok, posting videos in the days leading up to the operation on February 25
In an emotional update posted to TikTok on March 3, Jeremy said he had been waiting for his wife in the recovery area when he received a call around 5.45pm asking him to come back to the room.
He recalled briefly speaking with Rachel’s doctor, who was leaving for the day and allegedly reassured him that the operation had gone well.
Moments later, Jeremy said he heard Rachel calling out for him.
A nurse soon entered the room and began asking Rachel how she felt after receiving medication for pain, he said.
Jeremy then noticed something was wrong.
‘Next thing you know, I look down and her face is off color,’ he recalled. ‘I assumed it was from the surgery, you know, from a lack of blood.’
When Rachel stopped responding, medical staff rushed to perform CPR.
‘I’m just a dumb construction worker, but I could tell something was wrong,’ Jeremy said in the video. ‘But there was no sense of urgency.’
‘Please pray. I know it’s gonna be great. I’ve waited a really long time for this,’ she told viewers at the time, adding, ‘I’m in good hands. I know God’s got my back. Let’s do this’
But according to her husband Jeremy Tussey, the routine cosmetic procedure quickly turned into a nightmare
‘I’m just a dumb construction worker, but I could tell something was wrong,’ Jeremy said in the video, adding, ‘But there was no sense of urgency’
A GoFundMe page created for the family confirmed that Jeremy ultimately faced the ‘heartbreaking decision’ to remove Rachel from life support days later
According to Jeremy, staff eventually contacted Rachel’s plastic surgeon, who evaluated the situation before instructing them to call emergency services.
Rachel was transported by ambulance to TriHealth Bethesda North Hospital, where she was placed on life support.
Jeremy later revealed that doctors told him she had gone more than six minutes without oxygen.
‘…I was told last night that she’s brain dead,’ he said in the heartbreaking update.
A GoFundMe page created for the family confirmed that Jeremy ultimately faced the ‘heartbreaking decision’ to remove Rachel from life support days later.
The fundraiser described Rachel as a vibrant and caring woman who loved adventure and always stepped up to help others in need.
‘Rachel was truly full of life. She loved adventure, cherished her family deeply, and lived as an example of what community and compassion should look like,’ the page reads. ‘When someone needed help, Rachel was always the first person to step forward.’
Family members told local outlet WXIX-TV they have since hired a lawyer, though no lawsuit has been filed against the surgeon.
Jeremy said he is determined to understand how the procedure ended in tragedy.
‘To me, it looks like incompetence. Somebody dropped the ball here,’ he said.
Rachel leaves behind her husband Jeremy and their three children — Tristan, Alec and Livi.