Hollywood is saying goodbye to Kelley Mack, best known for her role of Addy on The Walking Dead.
The young star passed away at the age of 33, with her mother and aunt at her side, her family said on social media.
“So sad and so young,” the internet said.
Hollywood is saying goodbye to Kelley Mack, who passed away at the age of 33
Kelley, born as Kelley Klebenow on July 10, 1992, passed away “peacefully” on August 2 in Cincinnati, her family said.
“It is with indelible sadness that we are announcing the passing of our dear Kelley,” read an announcement written by her sister.
“Such a bright, fervent light has transitioned to the beyond, where we all eventually must go.”
Her “loving mother Kristen and steadfast aunt Karen” were by her side during her last moments.
The actress was battling a glioma of the central nervous system. Gliomas are a type of tumor that grows in the brain or spinal cord.
Kelley publicly spoke about her diagnosis and underwent treatment before succumbing to the rare and aggressive brain cancer.
The actress was battling a glioma of the central nervous system
“Kelley has already come to many of her loved ones in the form of various butterflies,” her sister said. “She will be missed by so many to depths that words cannot express.”
“She would want you all to know how much she loves you,” the sister added.
She also expressed pride in how brave Kelley was.
“As her sister, I want you all to know how brave that tough SOB was, especially when she decided to make the leap to be reunited with God,” she added. “I’m so f***ing proud of her.”
When Kelley spoke about her diagnosis with her fans, she said she moved to an apartment with her boyfriend last September and experienced persistent lower back pain for a month after that.
“[I] thought I slipped a disc,” she said in a January post. “A few weeks later, I had neuropathic itching in my right quad. And 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 would want you all to know how much she loves you,” her family said in a statement
The Chicago Med actress said she underwent emergency MRIs on the eve of Thanksgiving last year and the results revealed she had an abnormal mass in her spinal cord.
She was eventually diagnosed with diffuse midline glioma (DMG), and she lost the use of her right leg and most of her left leg after her biopsy surgery on her spinal cord.
“So I now get around with a walker and a wheelchair,” she said in her January post.
Calling it a very “emotional and challenging time,” the young star said she was grateful to have a supportive and loving family and boyfriend.
“I just wanted to share this to be open about what I’m going through, in case any of you can relate or have been given a similar diagnosis,” she added.
The actress underwent emergency MRIs on Thanksgiving Eve last year and found an abnormal mass in her spinal cord
Kelley admitted her acting career would be paused for a while as she underwent treatment in Cincinnati.
“I am determined and know that this will eventually be a short chapter in my long book,” she said at the time. “The positivity, love and prayers that are being sent my way already is overwhelming and I feel it all. Thank you so much.”
Loved ones described Kelley as someone with “warmth, creativity, and unwavering support for those around her,” according to a family statement shared on CaringBridge.
Her legacy “will live on through her contributions to film and television, and in the hearts of those who loved her.”
Kelley was described as someone with “warmth, creativity, and unwavering support for those around her”
The actress had 35 actress and five producer credits before her passing.
The family will be holding a recognition and remembrance of Kelley’s life on August 16 in Ohio. They are also planning a celebration of her life on a future date in LA with friends and colleagues.
Fans shared their grief online, saying: “I loved everything she had done in her career. I also think she is an amazing actress.”
“I didn’t even know that she was sick!” one said.
“It’s just one after another celebrity and/ or influencer in their 30’s passing away the last couple years,” one said.
Another wrote, “All these young talent leaving way too soon.”
“Tragic loss at such a young age,” one commented online
