Weight loss influencer Mila De Jesus dies at age of 35, leaving behind four children and her new husband

An Instagram influencer has died at the age of 35 after suffering a suspected heart attack, leaving behind four children and her newlywed husband.

Mila De Jesus, who rose to fame online for sharing her weight loss journey, died on Friday (January 12) and her untimely death was announced by her family on Monday (January 15).

The post read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Mila de Jesus this Friday. In this moment of pain, respect family and friends and we will express our respect to Mila who will miss her a lot." An official cause of death has not been announced.

So, who exactly was De Jesus, what happened to her, and what tributes have been left to her? Here's what you need to know.

Who was Mila De Jesus?

De Jesus was a social media star, mother-of-four and wife. She was born in Brazil but lived in Boston, United States. She died on Friday (January 12), just four months after marrying her new husband George Kowszik. Her children are from a previous marriage.

She gained a following on her Instagram page six years ago when she underwent major weight loss surgery and shared her journey online. In an Instagram post from November, De Jesus posted juxtaposing pictures of herself before and after her gastric band procedure as she looked back on her life and marked the anniversary of her 2017 surgery.

“Six years since a decision that changed my life in various aspects,” De Jesus captioned the composite before and after image. “On one side, the 22-year-old Mila, and on the other, the 35-year-old Mila.”

More recently De Jesus, who had more than 60,000 followers on her Instagram account @miladejesusoficial announced she had been battling psoriasis since July in a post she released in October. Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes a rash with itch and scaly patches.

'I've been dealing with this situation, 80 percent of my body taken, between doctors, medicines, ointments, and breathing deeply..,' she wrote in an Instagram post, where she also shared images of her body affected by the condition.

In the months since, De Jesus hardly spoke about her skin disease and continued to post photos of family members and of herself. The influencer's last Instagram post, which was on Sunday January 7, just days before her death, and included photos and videos of her and one of her young children snowboarding. She captioned the post: "Direcrtly from the North Pole. Do you want to build a snowman?"

What happened to Mila De Jesus?

No official cause of death has been released for Mila De Jesus, but it is thought she had a heart attack. The circumstances which led to this alleged medical episode have not been made public.

What tributes have been left to Mila De Jesus?

Many people have taken to De Jesus' Instagram page to leave their tributes to her and offer their condolences to her family, including famous faces and fans.

Brazilian influencer Flavia Calina called De Jesus "a very very special and very loved person" and wrote: "May God comfort your hearts!" Bazilian-American internet personality Camila Coelho said: "Still can't believe it - May God comfort the hearts of the whole family."

One fan wrote: "Speechless! May God receive her. I will keep you forever in my heart. You marked an important moment in my life." Another, who said they had been following De Jesus from the beginning, said: " So sad, my God. A lot of light, Mila. Rest in peace," and also shared a broken heart emoji.

Kowszik's only Instagram post is of him and De Jesus, which was posted on April 9, and users have also begun offering their condolences on his post. One person said: "I’m sorry for your loss. Milla was one of a kind." Another said: "My heart breaks for you. My prayers go out to you."