One star of TLC reality show My 600lb Life died at the age of 50 after discovering maggots living in the folds of her skin.
Lisa Fleming appeared on the show back in 2018, and starred in one of the most shocking episodes ever after developing a horrific infection in her leg.
Weighing in at 704 pounds – more than 50 stone – at her heaviest, Lisa sought the help of Dr Nowzaradan to lose weight, and succeeded in shedding more than 200lbs.
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But for Lisa, bariatric surgery was not the end of her painful journey.
During her episode, Lisa had begun to feel sick and was suffering constant pain in one of her legs. When her daughter came over to help, she pulled the folds of her skin apart to discover live maggots living there.
The incident inspired Lisa to start to lose weight, but it was a difficult process to start, and she continually fell back on her diet regime.
And how did the maggots get there in the first place? According to researcher Darvin Scott Smith, who spoke to INSIDER about the episode, an open wound could begin the process.
Lisa likely experienced a form of wound myiasis, with Smith explaining: “In the context of an open wound, flies would land on these open sores or ulcerations in the skin and that's where they would want to lay their eggs.
“If there are unclean surfaces, the fly can put its larvae there and they will thrive because there are lots of nutrients.”
The initial wound was likely caused by intertrigo, the inflammation of folds caused by skin rubbing together constantly.
After the show, Lisa did make progress with her weight loss, and was even able to stand up under her own steam, something she was unable to do on the show.
But she sadly died in August 2018, reportedly from causes unrelated to her weight.
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Her daughter Danielle explained: “At the end she was sick and her body was tired and her body just gave out.
“Mommy, I love you from here to the stars and back! Those babies loved you even more. I'm happy you're no longer in pain and stuck in that bed,” she penned on Facebook.
Lisa had lived a sadly tragic life, witnessing her brother getting murdered at a young age – and having her own mother blame her for his death.
It spiralled into binge eating, and sadly she did not make it to her 51st birthday.
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