Lisa Brown, who had been fighting a rare disease that caused her to slowly starve to death, died at the age of 34 on Saturday night, PEOPLE reports.
She passed away in her home in Brookfield, Wisconsin after battling the disease for six years.
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“The last thing I said to her was ‘Go be free,’” her husband, Patric Brown, said. “I already miss her so much. I wish I could see her every day but she’s now at peace.”
One rule she made for her funeral was no one was allowed to wear black. “Lisa said everyone has to wear bright colors and tell fun stories about her,” he said. “She even made a thank you card to everyone who comes. It’s beautifully decorated and shows an open gate.”
Lisa became ill around the time she turned 28. Before then she was happy, healthy and excited for her future.
The substance abuse counselor began noticing a drastic weight change and loss of appetite. She started vomiting after every meal and suffered from severe stomach pain. When Brown finally weighed herself, she was shocked to see she went from 140 lbs. to 112 lbs.
In December 2013, her doctors finally diagnosed her with superior mesenteric artery syndrome. It is a rare digestive-system disorder that pinches the small intestine, blocking food from getting through.
There has been only 400 cases of this disease reported. When she was unable to get an intestinal transplant and her corrective surgery did not help, Brown knew her health would continue to decline. Dr. Matthew Kroh treated Lisa and said she was “not anorexic or bulimic.”
At the time of her death, Brown weighed only 77 lbs. Her husband promised her that he would be with her until her final breath. “I’ll do anything for her,” Patric said. “We’ve always made a really great team.”Days before her death, she came to terms with everything and was ready to end her battle. “I’m not giving up,” she said, “I’ve just been fighting for so long. My body can’t take it.”
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