The mother of a Perth teenage girl who died after trying to drop weight ahead of a Muay Thai fight urges not to take drastic measures to shed extra kilograms.
Jessica Lindsay died from severe dehydration after collapsing on a run while preparing for an amateur martial arts fight.
She had only been practicing Muay Thai, a combat sport popular in Thailand, for two years but was very dedicated to her training, Nine News reports.
Jessica Lindsay (pictured) had only been practicing Muay Thai, a combat sport popular in Thailand, for two years but was very dedicated to her training
Her mother has warned against taking drastic measures in order to shed weight
‘It was one bad weight cut, one bad weight cut that caused this to a very, very healthy 18-year-old,’ her mother Sharon Lindsay told 7 News.
The teenager went jogging on November 10 ahead of an upcoming fight against Shanice Desilva in an attempt to ‘cut’ her weight down to 64 kilograms.
But tragically she collapsed while exercising and was pronounced dead four days later in hospital with her family having to make the heartbreaking decision to turn her life support off.
‘I challenge anyone to go into an ICU to witness what we had to witness for four days straight and then being told to make that horrific decision,’ Sharon said.
Dr Joe Kosterich said the young woman may have suffered heat exhaustion in the hours leading up to her big break in the ring.
‘There is a point of no return, it is quite extreme and it goes beyond dehydration. It is what some would call heat exhaustion or heat shock,’ he said.
Upon hearing the news about her opponent collapsing, Shanice Desilva took to Facebook to say she was ‘sending strong vibes’ out to Miss Lindsay (pictured)
The teenager’s Instagram account, which has now been set to private, shared pictures of her weight-cutting progress just nine days ago
The teenager’s Instagram account, which is set to private, shared pictures of her weight-cutting progress just nine days ago.
Miss Lindsay wrote in a caption that she was feeling ‘fit and healthy’.
The coroner will now investigate her death and she will be laid to rest on Wednesday.
Miss Lindsay wrote in a caption that she was feeling ‘fit and healthy’