Sean Milliken is probably the most polarizing patient ever featured on TLC’s My 600-lb Life. While it was quite easy to criticize the 900-pound man for his bratty attitude and his generally entitled nature, it was also quite evident that much of what he became was a result of the care he has received from his mother. Renee Milliken, Sean’s rather overprotective mom, has been noted by the hit reality TV show’s resident medical expert, Dr. Now, as one of the reasons behind the 900-pound man’s lack of progress. Recently, however, it appears that Sean’s journey toward getting healthier would get a lot more challenging, as rumors emerged that his mother has tragically passed away.

The news of Renee Milliken’s death has been going around among Facebook groups that are dedicated to the hit reality TV show for a while now. However, save for a single report from US Blasting News, there appears to have been no confirmation if the reports about Renee Milliken’s death were accurate. No updates exist on other news sites as of date, and even Google searches on Sean and Renee’s names result in dead ends. Recently, however, the rumors surrounding Renee Milliken’s alleged death seems to have finally been confirmed.

While no official word was ever released by the Milliken family, a brief search of Renee’s name in PeopleFinders.com has resulted in an entry stating that someone with her name has indeed passed away recently. While PeopleFinders did not explicitly state that the deceased was indeed Sean’s mother, there were several signs in the results that suggested she was definitely the 900-pound man’s mom. For one, among all the Renee Millikens in the United States, she was the only one with a listed relative named Sean. She was also residing in a Houston suburb when she passed away, which checks out with her address during Sean’s latest feature in My 600-lb Life.

Apart from this, personal accounts from the Milliken’s family friends have also confirmed through social media that Renee has indeed passed away. Steven Johnson, who is among the most active contributors of a dedicated My 600-lb Life Facebook group, stated that he personally attended her funeral. According to Johnson, Renee’s actions in Sean’s feature in the hit reality TV show might have been questionable, but it is quite difficult to deny that she really cared for and loved her soon deeply. Contrary to what was teased on the show, Renee was actually did a lot of activities apart from taking care of her son. Apart from this, Johnson also stated that when he last saw Sean, the 900-pounder seemed to be dealing with his mom’s loss as best as he could, and he was figuring out what to do next.

“As many noticed during the show they didn’t follow up on what happened to her when she suddenly disappeared. She was not threatened, she was not separated, she was not restricted from seeing her son. Renee passed away. I was at her funeral and can tell you this woman had the biggest heart of anyone I’d ever met. She always stepped up to help anyone, whenever anyone had any need she volunteered. “She helped with the children’s program at her church. She discussed going on the show with her pastor. He said they would embarrass her, they would do things to make her look like a terrible person. Her response to him was ‘I would do anything they asked if they help my son’ and as you can see from the show, she lived up to that. Sean says he is doing okay-ish and just trying to figure out his next steps. We admins ask that out of respect for Sean do not criticize his mother or him.”

Tragically, Renee Milliken appears to have passed away due to kidney disease. She was just 57-years-old. Considering that the late mother was completely devoted to her son, however, many viewers and avid fans of My 600-lb Life have extended their concern regarding Sean’s current welfare. After all, if there was anything that was evident during Sean’s first appearance and his recently aired Where Are They Now episode, it was the fact that the 900-pound man and his mother are entirely dependent on each other.

Sean’s story has been one of the most heartbreaking and aggravating in the entire run of the hit reality TV series. Confined to a bed and completely unable to walk, Sean’s life was filled with pain and constant discomfort. Ironically, however, his late mother, Renee, became one of the reasons why Sean’s weight-loss journey has not been as smooth as those of other My 600-lb Life patients. This is not to say that Sean has always been resistant to the premise of getting healthier, however. During his initial appearance, Sean actually lost 300 pounds, which qualified him for gastric bypass surgery.

Unfortunately, a combination of Renee’s overprotective nature and her tendency to go off Dr. Nowzaradan’s diet plan had caused Sean to completely gain back all the weight he lost when he first appeared on the hit reality TV show. Thus, during Sean’s Where Are They Now episode, Dr. Now confronted Renee, calling her out on her counterproductive care for her son. The bariatric surgeon even went so far as to suggest that Renee’s overly doting nature would very well cause Sean’s death.

It is unknown if Sean would still be featured in a future My 600-lb Life episode. Regardless of whether he would appear before TLC’s cameras again, however, both viewers and avid fans of the hit reality TV show have wished the 900-pound man the best in his continued journey toward getting his life back from morbid obesity.

[Featured Image by TLC]