A 37-year-old once described as the ‘world’s fattest woman’ has died in hospital, officials have said.
Eman Abdul Atti died as a result of heart disease and kidney dysfunction according to a statement from Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi.
A team of more than 20 doctors had been caring for Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty since her arrival at Burjeel Hospital in May.
Ms El Aty, in her mid-30s, first sought treatment in India, travelling from the port city of Alexandria to Mumbai aboard a specially modified Airbus in early February.
She had not left her house in more than two decades and weighed around 500kg.
Her request for an Indian visa was initially denied, but she was granted passage after tweeting a plea for help directly to India’s foreign minister, who intervened.
She underwent bariatric surgery, a stomach-shrinking bypass procedure, the following month, initially shedding 100kg at Saifee Hospital.
Her family told the doctor that as a child she was diagnosed with elephantiasis, a condition that causes the limbs and other body parts to swell, leaving her almost immobile.
By the time she left Mumbai, doctors said Ms El Aty had lost more than half her original weight.
She left Mumbai when her sister clashed with the hospital, disputing her progress and treatment.
In Abu Dhabi’s Burjeel Hospital, doctors were hoping to help Ms El Aty walk again, according to the Indian Express, which has followed her case closely.
She celebrated her birthday last month with her family and doctors by her side.
