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Crystal Villegas, a 31-year-old influencer, tragically passed away on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Valley Baptist Hospital in Texas, after a four-month-long battle with fungal meningitis. All of it started when she went for plastic surgery at a Mexico clinic and caught a serious infection that infected her brain and spinal cord.
Her husband, Juan Tapia, confirmed the news, saying:
“She fought hard for 4 months and refused to give in, and even though she lost the battle against this deadly disease, she gained something so much greater. My crystal gained her angel wings.”
The husband also shared how, just a few weeks after getting the plastic surgery done, Crystal started getting severe headaches, which is how she got diagnosed. As per the husband, she had approached the River Side Clinic in Matamoros, Mexico.
Furthermore, Daily Mail also reported that Crystal Villegas is the ninth American to have passed away due to meningitis acquired from the same clinic in Mexico. Her husband confirmed this, as he said that his wife’s two friends had also passed away after they went for a cosmetic operation. He also tried to spread awareness among people about the risks of cosmetic surgery, saying:
“Please, please be aware of the risks of cosmetic surgeries. Our hope is to spread awareness so that people can actually do the research. It changes everything. Everything. It’s not worth it. I wish this was all just a bad dream that we could wake up from and go back to the day before the surgery and somehow, someway, convince her not to go.”
Fungal meningitis is when a fungal infection spreads through the brain and spinal cords, leading to those parts getting extremely swollen.
Furthermore, as per Crystal Villegas’s husband, she had visited the Mexican clinic to get breast implants, which resulted in the worsening of her condition.
Symptoms, causes, and more about fungal meningitis explored as Crystal Villegas passed away at 31
While many people have been getting cosmetic surgeries done for years, it is important to understand that things can go wrong and result in a permanent disability or even turn out to be fatal, like in the case of Crystal Villegas.
Fungal meningitis spreads majorly in the brain and the spinal cord. As per Medical News Today, this serious condition causes the lining around the brain and spine to swell and allows germs to enter and infect the rest of the body. The cause of this disease can be surgery, as was the case with Crystal Villegas.
This disease is common among people who have low immunity or have diseases like HIV or cancer. The diagnosis is simple, as doctors usually run a few tests upon seeing and evaluating symptoms. However, the treatment is tedious, as patients have to undergo a long cycle of medicines.
A few symptoms of the disease include headaches, stiff neck, fever, vomiting, nausea, altered mental state, and even hallucinations.
Crystal Villegas is survived by her husband and three kids. Details about her funeral and memorial service are unavailable as of now.
