Damien Gurganious Dies: 'The Biggest Loser' Star Dead At 38, Autoimmune Disorder To Blame [VIDEO]
Damien Gurganious died last month at the age of 38.
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On Monday, Nov. 24, Gurganious suffered from a sudden onset of a rare autoimmune disorder, Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), which led to bleeding in his brain and ultimately, his death.
"He was a pillar of his family, an amazing son, brother, cousin and uncle," the family told Us Weekly in a statement on Thursday. "He was an incredible husband and father to his two-year old daughter, Giselle. He was an inspiration and a mentor to so many. His love for his family and friends was immense."
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Gurganious and his then-fiancée, Nicole Brewer, appeared on The Biggest Loser in 2009, but were eliminated in the third week. After appearing on the show and dropping a substantial amount of weight, the couple were married.
On Facebook, Brewer shared a heartfelt message with fans about the loss of her husband.
"As most of you know, I never post on social media. So, it is highly ironic and deeply sad that my first true post is to inform you of the tragic loss of my beloved husband, Damien Gurganious," she wrote. "All of you who knew Damien can attest to his generous and loving spirit, his outgoing and gregarious personality, and his caring and compassionate nature."
After Gurganious' death, friends of the family launched "The Damien Gurganious Family Fund" to help financially support Brewer and their daughter. So far, nearly $2,000 has been raised for the family.
The Biggest Loser will air an "in memoriam" card after the episode airing on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Below is a clip from Gurganious and Brewer's time on The Biggest Loser.
