Tri-State woman on hospice after tummy tuck procedure goes wrong

CINCINNATI (WXIX) — A Tri-State family is grieving as a 47-year-old woman is now on hospice after a tummy tuck procedure took a tragic turn.

Rachel Tussey documented the days leading up to her surgery on TikTok to help other women who may be contemplating a similar procedure.

“I’m super pumped to do this. I’m only 47, I think I have a lot of life to live. I’m super excited to do this for myself,” Rachel said in a TikTok video.

She also expressed some hesitation about the surgery.

“Please pray. I know it’s going to be great. I’ve waited a really long time for this. I know God’s got my back and let’s do this,” Rachel said in the video.

She posted an update to TikTok the morning of Feb. 25 before her surgery.

Days later, her husband, Jeremy Tussey, posted a video to Rachel’s account.

In the TikTok, Jeremy described first speaking with the doctor after the surgery.

“He assured me the surgery went great, so he was heading home. As he left, I could hear Rachel in the background asking for me,” Jeremy said.

In the video, he went on to say the nurses asked about Rachel’s pain.

“The girl said, ‘I was checking because a few minutes ago I gave your pain med, which was .5 dilaudid and 150 fentanyl.’”

Jeremy said he noticed something wasn’t right a few moments later. Rachel’s face had lost color.

“I got down in her ear a couple times and yelled Rachel, no answer,” Jeremy said in the TikTok.

He said that’s when the nurse started CPR.

“She put the bag on her, pumped it once or twice. The bag wasn’t sealed around her face. Then she walked around and grabbed some Narcan.”

Jeremy said they called the doctor back.

“He assessed the situation and told them to call 911.”

Jeremy said they were taken to Bethesda North by ambulance, where he says doctors told him Rachel was without oxygen for six minutes.

Rachel’s son confirmed she was removed from life support and was being transferred to hospice.

A GoFundMe has been set up for Rachel’s family with a goal of raising $22,000.

The family said they have obtained a lawyer but we are not naming the doctor because no legal action has been taken at this time.

FOX19 NOW reached out to Rachel’s doctor about these allegations with an email, sent a follow-up, and called his office. We have not received a response.

Editor’s note: FOX19 NOW makes no representations or warranties of any kind about the authenticity, accuracy, or reliability of any GoFundMe campaign. Any donations you make to such campaigns are strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions related to the authenticity, accuracy, or reliability of a GoFundMe campaign, please contact GoFundMe directly or consult the GoFundMe Guarantee Policy.

Rachel Tussey GoFundMe: Ohio TikToker and mom in ‘vegetative state’ after undergoing tummy tuck procedure

Rachel Tussey, 47, is fighting for her life after alleged complications from a tummy tuck surgery. A GoFundMe has been launched to help her family.

UPDATE: Despite earlier reports claiming that TikToker Rachel Tussey was dead, a family member has clarified that she is still alive. Ben Tori Tussey said in a Facebook post, “Reading the comments under the misinformed media posts has been incredibly draining for Rachel’s family and friends. Several media outlets stating Rachel Tussey have incorrectly reported that Rachel has passed. That is not true. She is still fighting in true Rachel fashion”.

Rachel Tussey GoFundMe: Ohio TikToker and mom dies after undergoing ‘mommy makeover’ tummy tuck procedure (GoFundMe)

Ben added, “At this point, arguing with people online won’t stop the misinformation. It only leads to pointless debates with people who don’t know the situation but feel the need to comment anyway. Please remember that Rachel’s family is seeing these posts and comments. To those who have sent love, prayers, and support—thank you. It truly means more than you know. Please continue to support her husband, children, family, and friends as they stand by Rachel while she is under hospice care.”

Advertisement

Tussey, an Ohio TikToker and mom of three, was left in a “vegetative state” after undergoing a “mommy makeover” tummy tuck procedure, a GoFundMe launched for her family said. Tussey described herself as “Over 40 & fabulous” to her followers on TikTok. She had been using the platform to share how excited and also scared she was as she prepared for the cosmetic surgery.

More Stories

This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years

Spend your next holiday abroad with up to 20% off fares

Thưởng Đến 50% Cho Lần Nạp Đầu

Nạp $100 Nhận Ngay Thưởng

# 1 Import Export Data Provider of 100+ Countries

# 1 Import Export Data Provider

Never Put Eggs In The Refrigerator. Here’s Why…

Global Hiring in 2025: Compliance, Benefits & More

The 47-year-old underwent an abdominoplasty surgery on February 25. She told her followers that it was a procedure she had “waited a really long time for.”

Read More | Emilie Kiser pays sweet tribute to late son Trigg while talking about her ‘grief journey’ | Watch

“I’m in good hands. I know God’s got my back. Let’s do this,” Tussey, dressed in a hospital gown said in her last video, posted just hours before the surgery.

What happened to Rachel Tussey?

Jeremy Tussey, her husband, shared in an emotional TikTok update that things took a turn for the worse after the procedure. The surgery was successful, but Tussey later became unresponsive, her husband said, according to Cincinnati.com

Tussey was administered Narcan, but efforts to revive her failed. She was rushed to Bethesda North Hospital where she was put on a ventilator.

Jeremy said that he believes the dose of pain killer given to Tussey at the surgery center was too high. However, he also praised the care she received at the hospital.

Read More | Fitness influencer Chris O’Donnell dies by suicide at 31, had ‘a background in mental health and substance abuse’

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

Jeremy claimed that his wife was without oxygen for more than six minutes before he was told that she was brain dead. He then took her off life support.

The family told local news outlet WXIX-TV that they have obtained a lawyer. However, they have yet to file a lawsuit against the plastic surgeon.

Rachel Tussey’s son, Alec, has released a statement and given some clarifications about her condition. She is the Ohio wife and mother who went unresponsive and coded after having a mommy makeover. She was removed from life support on March 5 and remains in a vegetative state on hospice.

“Thank you for helping my mother’s story be heard.

We are a faith filled family and we have been praying hard. The doctors have told us there is nothing else they can do. It is up to her and God now. She is on oxygen but not on a ventilator. They have told us that at any point in time she could pass.

I want to clarify something because there has been a lot of misinformation. While there are no intentional brain responses, her brain stem is still intact, which means she can breathe on her own. However, she has no gag reflex, no pupil dilation, and no meaningful brain activity. She is not technically gone, but her brain is not there and her physical body is barely hanging on.

I am holding on for a miracle, but I also realize that maybe the prayers I have sent will be received on the other side.

I would appreciate it if those of you leaving negative comments could consider what my family and I are going through at this time. I also want to clarify something else. We all asked her not to have the surgery and told her she was beautiful just the way she was and that she was deeply loved. Some of the false opinions suggesting we made her feel like she was not enough are heartbreaking.

Please keep praying for my mom, whether that means she goes to a beautiful place in the sky or wakes up from a miraculous recovery. Either way, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support from strangers.

My mother was the first woman to rally behind people. She was also the most stubborn person I have ever met. She would fight tooth and nail for any one of you if you were in this situation. ”