Photo: (MTV)
Today is a sad day for the MTV fam and fans of "Catfish" as we mourn the loss of Michael Fortunado.
Michael is known for being the love interest and "catfish" of Ashley Sawyer, a young woman who was not exactly forthcoming with her own identity either. However, Mike and Ashley were both able to see the best in each other, and were romantically involved long after the episode. "Me and him were very much in love...,"Ashley said in a statement to MTV. "We were definitely moving forward. If more people were like Mike, everybody would be a little happier in the world."
This tragedy came as a surprise to Ashley, as well as Michael's sister Gena, who also briefly appeared on that episode of "Catfish."
"I don't even know where to start," said a grief-stricken Gena. "He was a little kid at heart -- a gentle giant. He's somebody who put everybody before himself; everybody else came before him. The biggest heart that you'd ever meet."
Michael died of a pulmonary embolism, which is a blockage of one of the main arteries of the lung, typically caused by a blood clot that starts in the legs or pelvis. According to Ashley, Michael texted her early Saturday morning, saying he was feeling unwell and thinking of heading to the hospital. However, Michael decided to wait until later that afternoon to finally go, and ended up swerving and hitting a fence on the way in. Paramedics rushed him to the ER, but two hours later, he was gone.
Michael's story is a tragic reminder that if you are not feeling well and think there might be something seriously wrong, it is important to get medical attention as soon as possible. Your health is the most important thing.
"He would give anybody the last shirt he had -- anything," Ashley told MTV. "He would put his life on hold just to make sure other people moved forward. He always put people first."
If you or someone you know are having a difficult time dealing with loss, it is important to know you're not alone. After the loss of Shain Gandee of "Buckwild," Courtney Knowles of the Jed Foundation noted that, "in situations like this, where people feel really bad but might not have known the individual, I think the first thing to say is that it's okay to acknowledge you're hurting. If you feel really sad and have a hard time shaking the feelings, that's okay. It's a normal process to have, even when someone dies who we don't know."
You can always reach out to a trained counselor through the number 1-800-273-TALK, or check out HalfofUs for more information and resources.
