Courtesy of Tammy Slaton/Instagram
1000-Lb. Sisters’ Tammy Slaton Was Concerned About Husband Amid Weight Loss Struggles Before Death
Months before Caleb Willingham’s death, Tammy Slaton was admittedly worried about her husband as he struggled with his weight loss in rehab. She expressed her concerns on the Tuesday, January 9 episode of 1000-Lb. Sisters.
Tammy, 37, visited Caleb, who died at the age of 40 in June 2023, in the treatment center after two months apart. She was with him when he got weighed. The scale revealed that Caleb had lost 12.5 pounds, but at 524.6 pounds, he still didn’t qualify for weight loss surgery.
“I really am proud of him for maintaining under 525,” Tammy said. “But to be honest, it’s a little concerning.” In order to have the surgery, Caleb would have to be below 500 pounds. Until then, he would have to stay at the rehab facility.
Tammy grew even more worried when she saw a basket full of snacks in Caleb’s room. “It’s not all about the snacks,” she told her husband. “Food addiction is deadly and I need you to understand that this is serious. It’s life or death.”
Earlier in the episode, Tammy feared that Caleb was hiding something from her. When she finally reached him on FaceTime, he revealed that he had been hospitalized. “I’m not gonna sugar coat everything,” he told her. “I’m still struggling with this eating thing. I don’t know how I’m getting this far out of control.”
After the Kentucky native made it clear that she was concerned, Caleb vowed to “fight” so that he could “get home” to her. The two met in the Ohio treatment center and got married in November 2022. Tammy left rehab in February 2023 after successfully qualifying for weight loss surgery and then having the procedure.
Sadly, Caleb was still in the facility when he died. Although he and Tammy were reportedly estranged at the time of his death, she was left heartbroken by the news.
“I am devastated to share the news of my husband’s passing,” the TLC star said in a statement. “He was my best friend and I loved him dearly. When I met Caleb he became my guardian angel and now he really is watching over me. Our families appreciate everyone’s sympathy and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
In December 2023, Tammy revealed that she learned of Caleb’s death via a text message from one of his friends. “The text said, ‘Caleb’s not doing good. They’re in there working on him,’” Tammy shared. “Twenty minutes later he texted me back and said he was gone.”
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