Charity Pierce, known for appearing on the TLC show My 600 Pound Life, has passed away at the age of 50.
Pierce's daughter, Charly Jo, issued a public statement on Facebook in which she said that her mother passed away while surrounded by loved ones on January 27.
“I wasn’t going to post about this. But … the calling and texting is making my head feel like it’s on fire. Almost all immediate family knows so, my mom passed away today,” she wrote. “She’s up with her momma and brother and sister, and she’s finally at peace.”
Charly included a heartbreaking photo showing her holding her mother's hand during her final moments.
“Charity fly high momma. I hope you know how much I love you and how grateful I was to be able to be by your side while you took your last breath,” she wrote.
Prior to her death, Pierce had reportedly been in hospice care for more than 2 months. She was struggling with several conditions, including fluid buildup in her lungs and lymphedema.
While appearing on My 600 Pound Life, Pierce worked with well-known bariatric surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. With his guidance and support, she was able to drop more than 300 pounds. She later underwent weight loss surgery and multiple procedures to remove excess skin.
Reflecting on all her hard work and dedication, Pierce was determined not to turn back to her old ways.
“I don’t want to go back to the way I was, where I was trapped in one room in my apartment all day, every day,” she said. “You can live your whole life believing that you can’t change the things you just don’t like … the day you see that for a lie, anything is possible.”
Thus far, an official cause of Pierce's death has not been shared publicly.