FIRESTORM: Unexpected Autopsy Conclusion Leaves Family Searching for Answers

Ohio mother, Rachel Tussey, underwent the surgery on Feb. 25, before her husband revealed days later that she’d been declared brain dead

Becca Longmire is a digital news writer-reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on ET Canada, Metro and the Mail Online.

Rachel Tussey.Credit : Rachel Tussey/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

Rachel Tussey, 47, was declared brain dead after complications from a February tummy tuck surgery
Dr. Shahryar Tork, who performed the surgery, told PEOPLE in a March 12 statement that he was “heartbroken” for Tussey and her family
The Tussey family has obtained an attorney to conduct a full and thorough investigation

The doctor who performed a tummy tuck on an Ohio mother believed to be brain dead following alleged post-surgical complications has spoken out.

Rachel Tussey, 47, underwent the procedure on Feb. 25, after sharing her journey with her followers on TikTok.

Rachel’s husband, Jeremy Tussey, then shared an update on Tuesday, March 3, revealing that Rachel’s condition deteriorated after the surgery, and that his wife had since been declared brain dead. PEOPLE initially reported that Rachel had died, based on family statements.

Rachel Tussey.gofundme

A GoFundMe was launched for Rachel and her family on Thursday, March 5. In the description, it announced that Jeremy made the “heartbreaking decision to remove her from life support.” Subsequent updates said that Rachel is “still breathing” but in a “vegetative state” while receiving end of life care in hospice.

On Tuesday, March 10, Jeremy wrote in a GoFundMe update that his wife was “in her final days.”

Rachel Tussey.Rachel Tussey/Instagram

The doctor who performed the surgery, Dr. Shahryar Tork, told PEOPLE in a statement on March 12, “I am heartbroken for Rachel Tussey and her family. My thoughts remain with her loved ones during this devastating time. Like them, I am struggling to understand how this could have occurred.”

Tork said in the statement, shared via a spokesperson, “It is important to clarify that the surgery did not take place at my private practice, Tork Plastic Surgery, nor do I own or operate the independently owned ambulatory surgery facility where the procedure occurred.”

Rachel and Jeremy Tussey.gofundme

In his initial, March 3 TikTok video posted on Rachel’s profile, Jeremy claimed that he had been “assured” that the surgery “went great” following his wife’s February procedure.

Things took a turn post-op, when Rachel became unresponsive, prompting a nurse to begin administering CPR.

Jeremy claimed Rachel’s plastic surgeon was brought in and “assessed the situation” before calling 911. He said that an ambulance transported Rachel to TriHealth Bethesda North Hospital, where she was placed on life support.

“She was without oxygen for over six minutes,” Jeremy said in the March 3 TikTok video. “… I was told last night that she’s brain dead.”

Jeremy vowed in the TikTok clip to find out what led to the tragic outcome, alleging “incompetence.”

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Dr. Tork said in the March 12 statement obtained by PEOPLE that “Rachel’s surgery was completed successfully and without complications. Rachel was extubated and transferred to the recovery unit (PACU) in excellent condition, where I personally updated Rachel’s husband and brought him to her bedside, where she was awake, speaking with him, and recovering as expected ahead of her planned overnight stay for monitoring.”

“Because Rachel was scheduled to remain overnight, her post-operative monitoring was overseen by staff contracted by the independent facility, not by my practice. I was later notified that her condition had unexpectedly changed and immediately returned to assist with her care and transfer to Bethesda North Hospital, where I remained with the family and continued to offer support,” he added.

“I have discontinued all procedures at that surgery center. Out of respect for Rachel and her family, and due to patient privacy laws, I will not comment further,” Dr. Tork concluded.

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The Tussey family has now obtained an attorney, lawyer Bernard Layne confirmed in a statement shared with PEOPLE on March 11. “I have been retained to represent the Tussey family and to conduct a full and thorough investigation surrounding the facts and circumstances of this tragedy.”

“At this time, we will not comment on any aspect of culpability or liability in this matter, but we will instead focus on providing full support to Rachel Tussey’s family, which is deeply grieving their wife and mother in the wake of this tragedy. We ask that the Tussey family be given grace during Rachel’s remaining days in hospice care and the space to mourn this sudden loss,” the lawyer continued.

In a follow-up statement to PEOPLE, also on March 11, Layne added that there is “no pathway to recovery” for Rachel. “She has profound, irreversible brain damage. As you may know, an anoxic brain injury is a severe form of acquired brain injury caused by a total lack of oxygen supply to the brain, which causes cell death. Medical professionals, in charge of her care, placed her in palliative hospice care, where she remains today.”

Rachel and Jeremy share three children, Tristan, Alec and Livi, according to the GoFundMe.

Additional reporting by
Nicholas Rice