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Kelley Mack, born as Kelley Klebenow in Cincinnati, Ohio, was best-known to have portrayed the character of Addy in The Walking Dead, season 9. Her performance as the stoic yet gentle Hilltop citizen became an instant hit. Unfortunately, she died on August 2, 2025 at an early age of 33. Her death was after an autopsy of glioma of the central nervous system. Nevertheless, Mack did not limit herself to zombies, there is a consistent reputation in cinema and on television: she worked on Chicago Med and several indies. Her friends and family members spoke of her as a warm artistic individual who caused happiness wherever she went.
Kelley Mack’s Cause of Death: Glioma of the Central Nervous System
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Kelley died after battling with rare and aggressive brain cancer, a glioma to be precise "diffuse midline glioma" of the central nervous system. She also revealed her experience openly on the social media of her followers. The extent to which her cancer had affected her spinal cord, thereby causing her to lose her right leg and most of her left was described in a candid post, in which she said: Such hardships notwithstanding, Kelley was quite happy and posted videos regarding her rehabilitation and even smiled at her illnesses. She is survived by her family and the outpourings of fellow actors and the people have arrived.
- CNS Glioma is not widespread; it is hard to surgically remove.
- It is predisposed to occur on areas that control essential needs like movement, speech, breathing.
- Its dispersed nature makes complete surgical excision nearly impossible.
- Treatment is scarce, typically a combination of operation (if feasible), chemotherapy, and radiation.
Understanding Brain Cancer: Glioma![]()
This type of tumor originated in the glial cells, which help to sustain the brain and spine. All brain tumors are not gliomas but gliomas are around 30 percent of the total tumors in the brain and the nervous system. When it is located in a sensitive area like the brainstem or the spinal cord as it happened to Kelley, it can be very devastating.
What are Symptoms of Glioma?
- Headaches that gradually worsen
- Seizures
- Problems with memory or thinking
- Weakness, numbness, or pain in arms or legs
- Changes in personality or behaviour
- Vision or speech problems
These symptoms may develop gradually, occasionally making the cancer difficult to detect early.
How is Glioma Treated?![]()
Treatment may involve:
- Surgery: The doctors do whatever is possible to cut out part of the tumour, and this could be with the patient under full anaesthesia in order to keep the brain working.
- Radiation therapy: To kill residual tumour cells, either in case surgery is not available or after surgery, in the residual tumour cells.
- Chemotherapy: Leftover cancer cells are destroyed using drugs.
- In case of aggressive tumours, newer interventions, like taking up targeted medications or participating in clinical trials, are possible.
- Despite these remedies, high-grade gliomas, especially diffuse midline gliomas, still evade treatment.
Kelley's Legacy
The legacy of Kelley Mack is of art and boldness. Not only will she be remembered because of her roles in films, but also because she was willing to open up her life to the world and to give hope to those people who were watching her struggle to do the utmost good in the world. To date, her fans, friends, loved ones and industry acquaintances continue to celebrate her life and career.
Conclusion
The story of Kelley Mack underscores the experiences that most people suffer in silence. Her boldness and power left a tattoo both on and off screen. On one hand, we raise awareness of a dying disease that needs better treatments and a cure; and in the process, we celebrate her.