Reality TV star Kirk Medas has died aged 33 after spending two weeks in hospital.
The Floribama star’s father confirmed to TMZ that his son had died on Friday, May 2, from liver failure.
Just hours before the star’s death, his family revealed he’d been placed on a ventilator after being admitted to the hospital on April 18, where he was being treated for a severe case of necrotizing pancreatitis.
This condition causes the pancreas to become so inflamed that the organ starts to suffer tissue death. It is unknown at the time of writing what caused the illness.
Following Kirk’s passing, his Floribama Shore co-star Aimee Hall paid tribute to ‘her friend and brother’ on Instagram, writing, ‘We are all trying to process this unimaginable loss.’
‘Kirk was the glue that held us all together,’ she continued. ‘He loved each and every one of us so deeply, with a heart bigger than this world… One sweet day, I know we’ll all be together again.
‘Until then, I’ll miss him every single day.’
Just yesterday, Aimee had made an impassioned plea on Instagram to fans asking them to support Kirk and his family.
‘Our friend Kirk has been in the ICU for over two weeks now, battling a severe case of necrotizing pancreatitis,’ she wrote. ‘He’s currently on a ventilator, and the situation is incredibly serious.’
‘Kirk does not have medical insurance, and his sweet, strong mother has created a GoFundMe to help with the overwhelming expenses. If you’re able to give, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.’
What is necrotizing pancreatitis and what are the symptoms?
Necrotizing pancreatitis is a condition that occurs when ‘part of the pancreas dies’, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center explains.
This can happen either because of ‘inflammation or injury’. If the dead tissue in the pancreas becomes infected, this can then cause dangerous health issues.
‘Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. When the pancreas gets inflamed, it may leak digestive enzymes into the pancreas itself. This harms the pancreas. This can lead to pancreatitis,’ the medical centre outlines.
‘When this damage is severe, parts of your pancreas may not receive enough blood and oxygen to survive. Necrotizing pancreatitis happens when a part of the pancreas or the tissue around it dies from inflammation.’
Causes can include:
- Gallstones
- Excessive consumption of alcohol
- Trauma of the pancreas
- High levels of calcium in the blood
- Autoimmune diseases
Symptoms can include:
- Gradual or sudden stomach pain
- Fever
- A swollen stomach
- Nausea or vomiting
To find out more, visit Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s website here.
The Floribama Shore X account also paid tribute to Kirk with a post.
‘We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Kirk Medas, a beloved member of the Floribama Shore family,’ it read.
‘Our hearts go out to his family, friends and fans during this difficult time.’
Kirk made a name for himself when in 2017 he alongside Aimee Gus Smyrnios, Jeremiah Buoni, Candace Rice, Codi Butts, and Kortni Gilson was chosen to be a member of the Floribama Shore cast.
He remained on the Jersey Shore spin-off all four seasons.