The sister of Kelley Mack penned a heartbreaking tribute to The Walking Dead star just hours before her official cause of death was announced to the public.
On Wednesday (6 August), the family of Kelley confirmed to The New York Times that the Ohio-born actress died from an aggressive tumour that attacked her central nervous system.
Kelley’s loved ones used the statement to inform fans that their daughter initially fell in love with storytelling after receiving a mini video camera as a birthday gift.
“This sparked a lifelong passion for the arts,” the statement said, leading Kelley to start acting in adverts for food and beverage brands like Dr Pepper, Dairy Queen and Chick-fil-A.
Advert
A day before the official family statement was released, the 9-1-1 alum’s sister, Kathryn, took to Instagram to share that her sibling died on 2 August at the age of 33, as per E! News.
“It is with indelible sadness that we are announcing the passing of our dear Kelley,” Kathryn wrote on 5 August.
“Such a bright, fervent light has transitioned to the beyond, where we all eventually must go.
Advert
“Kelley passed peacefully on Saturday evening with her loving mother Kristen and steadfast aunt Karen present.”
Her sister further revealed: “Kelley has already come to many of her loved ones in the form of various butterflies.
“She will be missed by so many to depths that words cannot express.”
The celebrity, who is best known for portraying Addy in season nine of The Walking Dead, had previously informed fans that she’d been diagnosed with astrocytoma, a type of cancerous tumour that often begins growing in the brain or the spinal cord.
Advert
Before her diagnosis, the TV favourite thought the pain she was experiencing in her lower back to a slipped disk.
“Then, the shooting pains in my legs and back began, which resulted in me having to sleep in a recliner for a month because laying down was too painful,” she wrote in January.
After an emergency MRI scan, doctors discovered an ‘abnormal’ mass which required her to undergo biopsy surgery.
Advert
“Due to the biopsy surgery on my spinal cord, I have lost the use of my right leg and most of my left leg, so I now get around with a walker and a wheelchair,” she continued
Kelley later had radiation treatment in Cincinnati.
In March, she told fans that she’d been able to conquer a set of stairs and that life had sent her some ‘ups and downs’.
Kelley’s final Instagram post was made on 17 June.
Advert
It was a promotion for the film premiere of Universal, held at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on 21 June. It serves as her final acting credit.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Topics: Cancer, Celebrity, Health, The Walking Dead
Ella Scott