Model Mama Cax has died aged 30 after a battle with cancer.
The American model fell ill when she was in London for a photo shoot after flying in from New York City.
Mama died on Monday after she spent the past week in hospital with severe abdominal pain.
The model - who had worked for Rihanna's brand Savage x Fenty - had been released from hospital before her death.
Her family broke the sad news on Instagram with a statement on Friday.
"To say that Cax was a fighter would be an understatement," her family wrote.
"As a cancer survivor, she had grown accustomed to taking on life's several challenges head on and successfully.
"It is with the same grit that she fought her last days on earth.
Rihanna led the celebrity tributes to the model which were flooding social media.
She wrote: "A queen. A force. A powerhouse beauty that brought her strength to the @savagexfenty stage this year inspiring so many across the globe. Rest In Power sis @mama_cax."
Jameela Jamil also penned a heartfelt note to her late friend who she hailed "the most extraordinary role model".
She wrote: "My beautiful friend was the most extraordinary role model. Mama Cax was a cancer survivor, model, amputee, and activist.
"She was sent home TWICE prematurely by our underfunded NHS and died in her hotel room. This happens so often now in the UK, especially to young black women."
In a heartbreaking final post before her death, Mama lamented being hospital-bound when she had originally planned to make the trip to Los Angeles for celebrations.
She had wrote: "I was gearing up for a wonderful couple of weeks went from celebration an anniversary with bae in Serbia, flew to NY for a quick job then had a quick shoot in London before heading to L.A to celebrate a fruitful yearlong partnership with my #sephorasquad family." (sic)
Mama then made arrangements to spend Christmas in the UK before her tragic death.
In her haunting last post, the model got candid with her fans as she shared her pain and her trip to the hospital.
She wrote: "The next morning it got worse, while barely conscious, I asked the hotel to call me an ambulance.
"They discovered that I had several blood clots in my leg, thigh, abdomen and near an IVC filter near my Lungs (which is a medical device that prevents clots from entering the lungs.) up until this emergency visit I had no idea I had such filter (which I assumed was placed there during my chemo days 14yrs ago) - nonetheless this filter saved my life.
"Lots of unanswered questions which I’ll have to figure out once I’m back to the States but I’m finally out of the hospital, in less pain, resting and taking blood thinners.
"Unfortunately flying puts me at risk of a pulmonary embolism therefore I'm stuck across the pond until after Christmas. Hope y’all are gearing up for a wonderful holiday season."
Mama made her mark on the fashion spheres as an up-and-coming model.
The beauty had made an impact on the disabled community whom she always spoke out for.
She told Teen Vogue in September last year: "I think it's so important to show people who have physical disabilities because there are people out there who have physical disabilities who buy products and who never see themselves represented in any way, shape, or form."
