MODEL TRAGEDY
Next Top Model star Lucy Markovic dies aged 27 after heartbreaking battle with rare brain condition
A touching tribute to the top model has been released
AUSTRALIA'S Next Top Model star Lucy Markovic has died after a heartbreaking battle with a rare brain condition.
The 27-year-old had impressed on catwalks across the globe modelling for the likes of Armani and Versace during her glittering career.
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Her agency Elite Model Management announced the tragic passing with a touching statement.
They described Markovic as “a bright shining light”.
Adding: "Modelling was one of Lucy’s dreams, and we are deeply honoured to have been part of that journey with her.
"She brought elegance, strength, and beauty to her work. But more than that, she brought herself - her warmth, her laughter, her light."
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The management team also announced her death was due to a rare brain condition.
Her partner took to Instagram on Friday to confirm the tragic news.
The post read: "She was at peace. Me, her mother and my mother were all present with her.
"We ask you to give us space in these hard times. May Lucy rest in peace."
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Just hours before, Markovic's partner described how the model was "battling for her life" and asked everyone to send prayers their way.
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Markovic first found fame in the modelling and fashion world in 2015 when she appeared on season nine of Australia’s Next Top Model.
She was just a teenager when the show started as she managed to finish runner up - only losing out to Brittany Beattie.
In the years after, she went on to pave out a hugely successful career working for brands like Versace and Victoria Beckham as well as walking the catwalk for Oscar de la Renta, Bulgari, Givenchy and Dolce & Gabbana, among others.
She also featured in high-profile magazines including Marie Claire and multiple international editions of Vogue.
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Last month, the model announced on Instagram that she would be undergoing surgery for a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) - a tangle of blood vessels that can lead to brain damage and stroke.
She said the malformation was “the size of a golf ball” and also revealed that she had experienced seizures.
In the post, she also told followers that she had battled the condition for four years.
She posted a photo of herself in hospital, with an image of a brain scan.
The post read: "Full flood of emotions in this time.
"Life’s a journey and I’m ready for the next chapter."
What is AVM?
Source: NHS and The London Clinic
WHAT IS AVM?
An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a tangle of blood vessels in the brain or on the brain surface.
This causes blood to bypass the usual network of vessels and flow directly from arteries to veins, which can lead to brain damage, stroke, seizures, and in some cases, death.
AVMs are most commonly found in people aged 20 to 40, though they can occur at any time. Doctors don't know why.
Symptoms often don't appear until an AVM starts to bleed, but can include: headaches, muscle weakness, nausea and vomiting, dizziness and mental confusion.
An AVM in the brain carries a three per cent chance of bleeding per year, though the likelihood is higher in some cases and following a previous bleed.
"A bleed results in a haemorrhagic stroke which is almost always a severe event and sometimes catastrophic," the NHS says.
Most diagnoses happen via CIT scan, MRI or angiogram, where a tube is inserted into your groin and fed through the artery to the arteries in the brain.
Treatment can involve radiosurgery to shrink the AVM, draining it through a craniotomy, and coiling, which sees metal coils block off blood supply.
AVMs are quite rare, occurring in about 18 in 100,000 people. Only two of these people will show any symptoms.
In comparison, stroke affects 2,500 out of 100,000 people.
Touching tributes poured in for the tragic model from across the fashion world on Thursday.
Newly-crowned Model of the Year Alex Consani made a tribute comment on Markovic's account saying: "Rest in peace angel."
Versace’s chief brand ambassador and fashion icon Donatella Versace said on social media: "I am so sorry to hear the news about @lucymarkovicc.
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"Rest in peace beautiful girl."
Markovic’s Australian agency, Kult Australia, wrote: "Today, we lost a star… She was radiant, warm and a beautiful soul."
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