A 35-year-old social media influencer died just four months after her wedding due to a suspected cardiac arrest. The Brazilian-born lifestyle influencer, Mila de Jesus, was known for her transformative weight-loss journey. She used to live in Boston, United States.
The news of her death was shared by her husband, George Kowszik, on Instagram on Friday. She leaves behind her husband and four children from a previous marriage.
Her daughter, Anna Clara, also posted a tribute for her mother and wrote: "I, Anna Clara, am posting this condolence note. We are very sad to hear of the passing of our beautiful mother. We appreciate all the prayers and condolences. Continue to pray for us. Thank you."
Mila's followers have also been left distraught by her sudden death. Her Instagram comment section is filled with thousands of tributes.
Just a few months ago, Mila posted a before and after picture of her weight loss journey to celebrate the sixth anniversary of her gastric bypass surgery, which changed her life dramatically.
"Thirteen years between one photo and another. Six years since a decision that changed my life in various aspects. On one side, the 22-year-old Mila, and on the other, the 35-year-old Mila. Look at how much we've changed, how we've grown, and what we've learned," she wrote.
Gastric bypass surgery is a type of weight-loss surgery wherein a physician makes changes to your stomach and intestine. The stomach begins to feel full more quickly once the procedure is done.
The surgery does have its risks and side effects. But it is often done to reduce your risk of getting life-threatening weight-related health problems such as breast, endometrial, and prostate cancers and type-2 diabetes.
Mila had a successful operation. She was living a healthy life after the surgery. Her story inspired many people and over the years, she managed to amass over 100,000 followers on Instagram by sharing her struggles and successes.
In October, Mila revealed that she had been diagnosed with psoriasis, which had affected 80 per cent of her body.
"It's been three months dealing with this situation, 80 per cent of my body is affected," she wrote in an Instagram post. "Juggling doctors, medications, ointments, and taking a deep breath".
Psoriasis is a chronic disease in which patches of skin become scaly and inflamed, most often on the scalp, elbows, or knees, but other parts of the body can be affected as well, according to the information available on the National Institutes of Health's website.
