On May 13th, Tandra Bowser-Williams flew from the United States to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for a cosmetic procedure that would transfer fat cells from her stomach to her derriere — what’s known as a Brazilian butt lift. Before leaving, the corrections officer gave her husband all the details — she was so excited about how Dr. Hector Cabral was going to change her body. Recalling what his wife said to him before she left, Curtis Williams told the NY Daily News: 

“Her exact words to me were ‘you’re gonna love Dr. Cabral’s work.’ I didn’t care one way or another. I accepted my wife the way she was.”

Unfortunately, her husband would never get to see the results of the surgery, as Tandra suffered from postoperative complications and passed away. 

The couple had been married since 1996. How devastating to lose a spouse at any point, but especially one that he had spent over 2 decades with. 

So what happened in that operating room? Dr. Cabral got in touch with Tandra’s husband soon after the operation to deliver the devastating news: she had suffered a massive stroke that “swallowed her brain”.

Williams said that he could hear his wife during the phone call, trying to speak, and he could tell that she was in pain:

“I heard my wife in the background, and she was complaining about her stomach and her butt.”

Sadly, Curtis wouldn’t make it to the Dominican Republic in time to see his wife again before she passed, but that’s not all. He said that the surgeon had woken Tandra from a coma to unlock her phone!  

“They brought my wife out of the medically induced coma so she could unlock her phone, so that’s how she was able to get in touch with me.”

What?! They woke her up after she had a stroke to unlock her phone?! Was there no other way to contact her husband? Did she not have to fill out an emergency contact form before going under the knife? 

Having a stroke and then being woken up from a medically-induced coma sounds like a nightmare. The pain and confusion she must’ve felt in that moment is unimaginable… 

Not only that, the surgeon that performed the operation has apparently had run-ins with the law before! In 2011, he was indicted on charges of “luring women to the Dominican Republic” with promises of discount surgeries. He allegedly left at least 10 women permanently disfigured due to his malpractice. Because of this, he was charged with fraud and conspiracy, and 10 counts of operating without a medical license. 

That’s right, the man doesn’t even have a medical license and is performing surgery! WTF! 

Related: Indian TV Star Chethana Raj Dead At 21 After Fat Removal Surgery Gone Wrong

The unlicensed surgeon reportedly cut a no-jail plea deal with prosecutors where he pled guilty to one count of unauthorized practice of medicine. He was fined $5,000, ordered to pay over $23,000 in restitution, and complete 250 hours of community service.

So he was convicted of now ELEVEN charges of medical malpractice, and all he’s had to do is pay fines and do some community service? He should have his medical license revoked — oh that’s right — he doesn’t even have one. How is he still being allowed to keep his practice open?!

Sadly, Bowser-Williams made the decision to trust Dr. Hector despite these charges, and it devastatingly led to her passing. Daily News reported Tandra’s death isn’t under any investigation at the time. However, the fact they woke the poor woman from a medically-induced coma just to get into her phone is a huge red flag. Seriously, what happened in there??

Tandra will be sorely missed, and not just by her husband. Her boss, Patrick Ferraiuolo, spoke candidly about her incredible work ethic to the newspaper: 

“She was always a good captain, never tried to escape work, always worked in the jails, always worked with inmates. It’s a real loss. She certainly didn’t deserve this. She was a trooper.”

The trend of lipo-tourism is HUGE — with as many as 750,000 Americans traveling abroad each year for cosmetic procedures. Regrettably, many trips end with lawsuits, disfigurement, or even death.

Our hearts go out to Tandra’s family and loved ones.

[Image via Facebook/Tandra Bowser-Williams/FX/Hulu]