TikTok mom dies after ‘mommy makeover’ tummy tuck procedure

Rachel Tussey, who amassed over 27,000 followers and described herself on social media as “over 40 & fabulous,” shared several videos about her preparations before undergoing a “mommy makeover” tummy tuck procedure. On February 25, the 47-year-old underwent an abdominoplasty surgery that she said she had “waited a really long time for.”

“I’m in good hands. I know God’s got my back. Let’s do this,” she said in her last video posted on TikTok hours before the surgery, appearing enthusiastic about the procedure. The caption included the hashtags #midlifeglowup and #mommymakeover.

According to an update posted on TikTok by her husband, Jeremy Tussey, the surgery later took a devastating turn. Although the procedure was successful, Tussey became unresponsive afterward.

Her husband said she was administered Narcan, but it failed to revive her consciousness. She was then transported to a hospital and placed on a ventilator.

Jeremy Tussey told followers he believes the dosage of painkillers given to his wife may have been too high. He said she went without oxygen for more than six minutes before doctors determined she was brain-dead.

“To me, it looks like incompetency. Somebody dropped the ball here,” her husband said. “Somebody dropped the ball and killed my wife.”

He has also launched a GoFundMe campaign, where he described his late wife as having been “truly full of life” and someone who “cherished her family deeply.”