“Australia’s Next Top Model” runner-up Lucy Markovic has died following complications from a rare brain condition on Thursday.
She was 27.
Markovic had been suffering from a brain arteriovenous malformation, which forced her to undergo emergency surgery on April 2.
“Dear friends and family, I regret to inform you that Lucy has passed,” a statement posted by her partner Carlos on Instagram read. “She was at peace. Me, her mother and my mother were present with her. We ask you to please give us space in these hard times. May Lucy Rest in peace.”
Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is described as the “tangle of blood vessels that creates irregular connections between arteries and veins,” according to the Mayo Clinic. The condition often prevents tissues from receiving oxygen.
Arteriovenous malformations are rare and occur in 1 in 100,000 people.
The fashion figure was public about her struggles in the weeks leading up to her death.
Markovic revealed that she was scheduled to undergo brain surgery on March 26 to treat the AVM “in the back of her brain” which she compared to the size of a golf ball. The procedure was moved to April 2.
“Lucky + unlucky – Radiation, seizures, heavy medication and 4 years later,” Markovic captioned her final Instagram post. “Excited, thankful, scared, supported, hopeful. Full flood of emotions in this time. Life’s a journey and I’m ready for the next chapter.”
According to the Australian Broadcast Corporation, Markovic was “battling for her life” on Thursday night — days after her procedure.
The runway model was remembered by some of fashion’s biggest names.
Donatella Versace reposted an image of the model in an Instagram story, writing, “I am so sorry to hear the news about @lucymarkovicc. Rest in peace beautiful girl.”
“Lucy was such a beautiful girl inside and out,” Australian designer Alex Perry told The Daily Telegraph. “She was a joy to work with and so professional. And just at that age too, to have that life taken away from her is really devastating.”
“Lucy was a bright shining light, and had an incredible dry sense of humor,” her agency Elite NYC wrote in an Instagram post. “Her smile and laughter could light up a room, and draw you closer to her.”
Markovic rose to fame when she was as a contestant in “Australia’s Next Top Model” in 2015.
Markovic, who was 16 years old at the time, came in second place and went on to pose for international brands like Givench, Versace, Victoria Beckham and Emporio Armani