An Ohio family is mourning the sudden loss of a mother who died after what was supposed to be a routine cosmetic surgery.
Rachel Tussey, 47, had documented her journey leading up to a tummy tuck procedure on TikTok, where she had more than 25,000 followers. In the days before the surgery, she shared videos about preparing for the procedure and meeting with her doctor.
In one clip filmed from a hospital bed, Tussey appeared hopeful and excited.
“Please pray. I know it’s gonna be great. I’ve waited a really long time for this,” she told followers. “I’m in good hands. I know God’s got my back. Let’s do this.”
The video was posted with the caption “#midlifeglowup #mommymakeover.”
But according to her husband, Jeremy Tussey, the surgery’s aftermath quickly turned into a nightmare.
Jeremy said he had been waiting while the procedure took place on Feb. 25 when he was called back to the recovery room around 5:45 p.m. As he entered, he said Rachel’s doctor was leaving and reportedly assured him the operation had gone well.
Moments later, things took a terrifying turn.
Jeremy recalled hearing Rachel call out for him as a nurse checked on her. Shortly after receiving pain medication, he said her condition suddenly changed.
“Next thing you know, I look down and her face is off color,” Jeremy said in a TikTok update. At first, he assumed it was a normal reaction after surgery.
But when Rachel stopped responding, medical staff began CPR.
“I’m just a dumb construction worker, but I could tell something was wrong,” Jeremy said. “But there was no sense of urgency.”
Emergency crews were eventually called and Rachel was rushed to TriHealth Bethesda North Hospital. Doctors later told Jeremy that she had gone without oxygen for more than six minutes.
“She’s brain dead,” he said in the emotional video update.
After several days on life support, Jeremy made the heartbreaking decision to remove her from the machines.
A GoFundMe created for the family described Rachel as someone who loved adventure and deeply cared for those around her.
“Rachel was truly full of life,” the fundraiser reads. “She loved her family fiercely and was always the first person to step up when someone needed help.”
The grieving family has hired an attorney but has not yet filed a lawsuit related to the procedure. Jeremy said he is determined to understand what went wrong.
“To me, it looks like incompetence,” he said. “Somebody dropped the ball here.”
Rachel Tussey leaves behind her husband and their three children, Tristan, Alec and Livi.