The Heartbreaking Death Of Whitney Thore's Mom, Babs
It's a sad day for the fans and the cast of TLC's "My Big Fat Fabulous Life," as on December 8, Whitney Thore announced via Instagram that her mother, affectionately known as "Babs," died the day before at 76 due to a condition called cerebral amyloid angiopathy. The devastating condition is incurable and can cause strokes, brain bleeds, and even dementia.
According to Whitney, Babs experienced a stroke for the first time in 2017, again in December 2021, and a third time last month. The matriarch's health struggles were extensively covered on Season 10 of the show.
Like Babs' family, fans of the series were aware of her health struggles, but it doesn't make her passing any less of a tragic loss. Fans all know how close Whitney and her mother were, and as a result, Whitney was thoughtful about paying homage to her mother and their amazing relationship.
Whitney's beautiful tribute to her mom
Whitney Thore posted an extremely heartfelt Instagram tribute to her mother, showing slideshow photos of Babs against a backdrop recording of Whitney and Babs having a loving phone conversation. Whitney also included a powerful caption that said in part, "My mother died last night just as the credits rolled on her favorite movie. Dad, Hunter, and I held her as she took her last breaths. It was 10:32pm, the same exact time she brought me into this world almost forty years ago."
She went on to describe how important her mother was to their family, writing, "My mother is our family's greatest gift. We could never love, revere, or value another person more. If you're reading this, you're familiar with her magic: her southern charm, her hilarious sense of humor, her well-timed witty remarks, her beauty, and her ability to make everyone around her feel comfortable and cared for."
Babs leaves not only her beloved daughter Whitney behind, but also her son, Hunter, and her husband of 44 years, Glenn. Then there are Whitney's castmates and friends, who shared deep bonds with Babs. "There will never be another Babs Thore," Heather Sykes penned on her IG Stories. Well-said.