America's Next Top Model alum Jael Strauss has sadly passed away at the young age of 34.
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Jael had reportedly been unconscious for a few days prior to her passing, and her family had stopped allowing visitors.
"The one blessing was that we were able to show her how loved she was before she passed," her family said in a statement to TMZ. "She brought so much light to people."
Jael's death comes just two months after she revealed she had been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.
On Thanksgiving, the former model disclosed on her Facebook page she had entered hospice care.
"First night in hospice. So many things I never knew about life," Jael reportedly wrote at the time. "Or death. So many things."
Jael, who competed on Season 8 of America's Next Top Model back in 2007 and finished in sixth place, first announced her cancer diagnosis in October.
"I was gonna write some long thing but some of you guys deserve to know. On October 2nd I was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer," she wrote on Facebook at the time.
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"It has aggressively spread throughout my body and is incurable. With treatment, it may prolong my life longer than the 'few months' doctors said I could make it. I don't want to die."
Jael added, "I need another one of those miracles that I got back in 2013."
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The "miracle" Jael seemed to be referring to was the fact she managed to overcome a crystal meth addiction.
Jael attempted to change her life around after appearing on The Dr. Phil Show and receiving an intervention in 2012, and in August 2018, she celebrated being five years sober.
A GoFundMe page was set up for Jael once news circulated of her cancer battle to help with medical bills.
"At the end of September, Jael became very sick and was diagnosed with aggressive Stage IV Rapidly Progressive Metastatic Inflammatory Breast Cancer," the page reads.
"It has metastasized and spread beyond the breast tissue. She has just begun chemo, but we do not know how things will play out. What we do know is that Jael is putting all of her energy and drive into fighting this insidious disease and can use as much support and love as possible."
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The campaign for Jael has raised over $19,600 as of December 5.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
