Michelle Parker, a reporter at a Des Moines television station, was known for her infectious smile.

“The smile,” said Dave Busiek, KCCI news director. “That’s the thing I’ll always remember.”

Michelle died unexpectedly on Sunday from heart failure, leaving fans in shock. Friends and family, however, speculate that her death was a result of her extreme weight loss in the ’90s. Michelle dropped over 100 pounds, hoping that weight loss would improve her chances of becoming an anchor at the station.

Her friends say Michelle was taking fen-phen, the diet drug combination recalled by the government for causing heart complications. “She thought if she lost the weight,” a friend said, “the station would make her an anchor. She auditioned a couple times, became disillusioned and stopped trying.” She stopped taking the drug and the weight later returned.

Friends started noticing problems recently when Michelle was breathing heavily and panting. When they pressed to take her to a doctor, Michelle waved it off as something she ate. Eventually, her friends brought police to transport her to the hospital, where she died only hours later. Michelle’s symptoms are consistent with primary arterial hypertension, a common effect of the fen-phen drug combination.

Michelle’s death is a pressing and heart-wrenching reminder of the reality of PAH. Her compassion, honesty, and, of course, smile will not soon be forgotten.