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My 600-Lb Life is one of the most popular docu-series on television, and it explores people trying to make positive changes for their health. Fans of the series were recently shocked to learn of Latonya Pottain‘s passing at only 40 years old. Now, her cause of death has been revealed days after the news emerged.
Viewers got to know Latonya in 2023 during the second episode of season 11 of My 600-Lb Life. Like all the people on the show, she was medically considered to be morbidly obese and sought help to change her condition. Sadly, reports say she passed away on May 17 after becoming bedridden.
According to In Touch Weekly, Latonya passed away at Christus Highland Hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana, after experiencing what was referred to as a “medical event” at a rehabilitation facility. It seems the event in question was her going into cardiac arrest. The report says that she had issues breathing, and family members who visited her said she “didn’t look well.” She died at 10:29 p.m.
Credit: Instagram
Until the final autopsy is released, the official reported cause of death is congestive heart failure. It’s also important to note that Latonya was still trying to get help for her condition as recently as February of this year. This was when she launched a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses.
She said at the time, “I’m currently getting close to my highest weight of 740 pounds, and I worked extremely hard to get it down.” Notably, she was 531 pounds when she started her weight loss journey, and she eventually got down to 505 pounds. Regarding the GoFundMe, she set a goal of $20,000, but she only raised a little over $1,000.
Latonya continued, “Now I currently weigh about 705 pounds and have been bedridden since June 2024 due to severe health issues.” She went on to describe her medical journey since appearing on the show by saying, “After the show aired, I experienced overwhelming backlash, which sent me into a deep depression. My mental health suffered, and I became fearful of undergoing weight loss surgery.”
Latonya then said, “Unfortunately, my health continued to decline, and I developed severe sciatica nerve pain, which caused extreme stomach cramps. I was prescribed fentanyl, but my body rejected the medication, leading me to begin therapy.”
The Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office released a statement following her death, saying they “extend its deepest condolences to the family and request respect and privacy during this difficult time.”