YouTube star Mel Thompson dies at the age of 35, two days after her final video on the channel

YouTube star Mel Thompson has died at the age of 35 it was revealed on Monday night – just days after she posted her final video online.

The American beauty guru’s passing on Sunday was announced by her devastated husband Puffin Thompson in an emotional Instagram post, in which he told her fans: ‘I wish I had her back.’

While no cause of death was shared, the news of Thompson’s passing comes just one year after she reveal that she was battling ‘a lot of health issues’ – something that her husband alluded to in his Instagram post, telling her fans that the dedicated mother always found time to care for her family ‘no matter how bad she felt’.

Although he gave no other information about her health struggles, a friend of the YouTuber commented on Puffin’s post to reveal that Thompson had been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an inherited disorder that affects connective tissues like the skin, joints, and blood vessel walls.

It is not known whether her cause of death was related to the condition. She is survived by her husband and their four children.

Shortly after Puffin’s touching tribute to his ‘beautiful’ wife was shared, Thompson’s YouTube channel was flooded with tributes and heartfelt messages from fans, as well as a number from her fellow YouTube stars and makeup artists including James Welsh, Hindash, and Lisa Eldridge.

In his Instagram post, Puffin praised his wife as a ‘pillar for our family’, while opening up about his grief at losing such a ‘beautiful person’ and sharing a series of ten photos from their life together.

‘Mel sadly passed away yesterday,’ he wrote. ‘It’s really hard to just choose 10 photos. We lost a beautiful person. I just wanted to show the smiles she brought.

‘I’ve had to answer so many texts of people just checking in on her without even knowing of her passing. It’s great to see how loved she was.

‘And she loved all you right back. I’ll continue to love her and miss her forever. She was such a pillar for our family.’

The father-of-four then alluded to his wife’s health issues – although he neglected to go into detail – explaining that Thompson always found time to care for her family ‘no matter how bad she felt’.

‘The kids would talk to her non stop and she was constantly talking with them and trying to help them with their stuff,’ he continued.

‘And no matter how bad she felt, she would still rub my back when I came and jumped on the bed next to her while she was working tirelessly to put out content.’

He concluded: ‘Everybody knows how talented she was as an artist and with her helpful knowledge, but those closest to her know how truly wonderful she was.

‘She would have done anything to help anyone without a second thought. I wish I had her back.’

Thompson’s death comes just over one year after she revealed on Instagram that she had been battling unspecified ‘health issues’, including suffering several seizures.

In August 2020, the social media star – who typically separated her private life from her online work – wrote: ‘I am having a lot of health issues. One main issue being seizures. I had 2 on my birthday and was in the hospital. Last night, I had another one. I’m ok. I just can’t keep pushing myself and I need to rest.’

One of the YouTube star’s friends, Elizabeth Spencer, claimed in a comment posted on Puffin’s Instagram post that Thompson had been struggling with ‘a lot of medical problems’ before her death – claiming that she had also been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Spencer said that she did not know whether the condition – which can, in rare cases, cause the blood vessels to rupture – played a part in her death.

‘I actually was the one who told her I thought she had elhers danlos,’ Spencer wrote. ‘She went to her dr and she was diagnosed with it. She talked about it on her channel. I’m not sure if that was a factor. I’m devastated.’

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is defined (courtesy of Mayo Clinic) as, ‘a group of inherited disorders that affect your connective tissues — primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls.’

The condition causes overly-flexible joints and can mean that sufferers experience issues with wounds, because their skin is not typically strong enough to hold stitches.

Although the syndrome is typically managed through physical therapy and drug treatments, in the most severe cases, patients are diagnosed with a rare form of the disorder, known as Vascular Ehlers-Danlos, which can cause potentially-fatal complications, including ruptured intestines, uterus, or blood vessels.

The condition can also lead to serious complications during pregnancy.

Puffin’s post about his wife was also flooded with words of sympathy and support from friends and fellow YouTube stars, with hundreds leaving comments to express their grief over Thompson’s death.

James Welsh wrote: ‘Such sad news. I’m so sorry for your loss,’ while makeup artist Hindash penned: ‘I’m so sorry for your loss. Heartbreaking news.’

Lisa Eldridge added: ‘I’m so deeply saddened and shocked. My thoughts are with friends and family… truly heartbreaking. Rest in peace Mel, thank you for always being so wonderful.’

Thompson’s last video on her YouTube channel, which has over 170,000 subscribers, came on Friday September 24, just two days before her death.

Her last Instagram post, where she has another 57,000 followers, came last Monday, where she revealed a new makeup look.

The guru had been posting videos on the channel since 2015 to showcase her makeup talents, after landing a job at cosmetics brand MAC.

In 2020, Mel who has four children with her husband Puffin, admitted she never planned to start a family, but now ‘wouldn’t trade places with anyone.’

In an Instagram post she said: ‘I grew up always saying I would never have kids. Here I am today with 4 and I wouldn’t trade places with anyone. I’m so grateful to have such amazing kids and an amazing family.

‘Being a mom is both rewarding and extremely frustrating at times but ALWAYS more rewarding. To my babies, (you’ll always be babies to me) I love you with all my heart.’