1000-Lb. Sisters’ Tammy Slaton Says She’s ‘Thankful to Be Alive’ Amid Weight Loss Journey

Major milestone. 1000-Lb. Sisters star Tammy Slaton said that she’s “thankful to be alive” amid her inspiring weight loss journey.

“I wised up and got my surgery,” Tammy, 36, told People about her decision to undergo bariatric surgery in 2022. “I was able to make my lungs strong enough to get my trach out, and then recently the doctor cleared me to be off my oxygen machine during the daytime.”

During the season 3 finale of the TLC show, fans watched Tammy face a near-death experience when she was put on a ventilator and placed in a medically induced coma after she stopped breathing.

Following the health scare, Tammy entered a food addiction rehab in Ohio to focus on her weight loss journey. She eventually lost enough weight to qualify for bariatric surgery and her health has continued to improve since.

“Now I only wear my oxygen at night, along with my BiPap machine,” she told the outlet. “I monitor my oxygen levels throughout the day and keep my machine on hand in case I need it.”

Tammy added that she’s currently feeling “great” and said “it’s fun to be progressing as much as I am.”

During season 4 of the reality show, Tammy’s family explained the severity of her health scare. Her sister Amanda Halterman noted that her lungs gave out and the family was “facing making funeral arrangements.”

Meanwhile, Tammy admitted that she didn’t “remember” what happened before she went into the coma. “I completely blacked out,” the TV personality said in a confessional. “I woke up a week later in the hospital on life support.”

Since undergoing the surgery, Tammy hasn’t been shy about flaunting her slimmer figure on social media and during public outings.

In May, the Kentucky native was seen walking without her walker or wheelchair while exiting a gas station in Indiana during a trip with her brother, Chris Combs.

Tammy looked confident as she walked through the parking lot in a gray sweater and black pants. She was also wearing a nasal cannula during the outing, which is a medical device that provides supplemental oxygen therapy to people with lower oxygen levels.

In addition to her weight loss, Tammy has also made headlines amid her speculated split from her husband, Caleb Willingham.

The couple met at the Ohio weight loss facility and began a whirlwind romance. Caleb proposed after just one month of dating in October 2022, while they tied the knot in November of that year.

Tammy and Caleb’s relationship became long distance when she left the facility and moved back to Kentucky.

Fans began to speculate that the pair called it quits when Tammy changed her name on TikTok from Willingham back to her maiden name in April 2023.

Rumors continued to swirl when Caleb allegedly claimed that they split in a post on his private Facebook page. “If you were here only for my wife, then please delete me now,” the post allegedly read. “We are married by paper only right now. Her decision not mine. It was more than that. I’m hurt, mad, confused and alone even with others around.”

Neither Tammy nor Caleb have publicly commented on the status of their relationship amid the rumors.