'The Walking Dead' actress Kelley Mack dies at 33
Kelley Mack, an actress best known for her work on the horror series “The Walking Dead,” has died at age 33.
A representative for Mack confirmed her death to ABC News and said in a statement, “She will be so missed.”
In an online statement, Mack's family said she died on Aug. 2 with her mother and aunt at her side following a battle with a glioma, a type of tumor of the central nervous system.
“It is with indelible sadness that we are announcing the passing of our dear Kelley,” Mack's family wrote in the statement, and also called her “a bright, fervent light.”
“Kelley has already come to many of her loved ones in the form of various butterflies 🦋 ❤️. She will be missed by so many to depths that words cannot express,” the statement added.
In a January Instagram post, Mack revealed that after experiencing "persistent lower back pain" as well as "shooting pains in my legs and back," she had been diagnosed with diffuse midline glioma, which she described as "an extremely rare type of astrocytoma cancer."
"Due to the biopsy surgery on my spinal cord, I have lost the use of my right leg and most of my left leg, so I now get around with a walker and a wheelchair," she added.
According to the National Cancer Institute, diffuse midline gliomas are tumors that start in the primary central nervous system, such as in the brain or spinal cord, and are "a rare subtype of glial tumors."
The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 3,940 people live with diffuse midline gliomas in the U.S. Symptoms may include double vision, swallowing problems, and a loss of balance or weakness on one or both sides of the body.
People with diffuse midline gliomas may be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or targeted medications, according to the National Cancer Institute, which says the relative five-year survival rate is 42.2 percent. Survival depends upon many factors, including an individual's age and the grade of the tumor.
As an actor, Mack portrayed Addy during the ninth season of “The Walking Dead” and Penelope Jacobs in the eighth season of “Chicago Med,” which will return for its 11th season this fall. She was also known for her role as Alice in the horror film “Broadcast Signal Intrusion.”
Born Kelley Klebenow, Mack was a Cincinnati, Ohio, native and grew up in Ohio, North Carolina and Illinois, according to her family. She graduated from Chapman University in 2014 and lived and worked in Los Angeles for the past decade. She was the oldest of three children, including her sister, Kathryn, and brother Parker Mack, who is also an actor.
In addition to acting, Mack was also a producer, writer and voiceover artist.
Mack’s family said a “recognition and remembrance” of life for Mack will be held Aug. 16 in Glendale, Ohio, and that another celebration of life will be held in Los Angeles at a date yet to be determined.
