What happened to Kevin Olaeta? 'Dr Pimple Popper' patient's mom reveals the real reason for his death

Kevin Olaeta was an electrician, working alongside his father in the hopes of inheriting the family company
PUBLISHED APR 5, 2023
Kevin Olaeta was a 31-year-old Petaluma, California resident (YouTube/TLC)
Kevin Olaeta was a 31-year-old Petaluma, California resident (YouTube/TLC)

PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA: Kevin Olaeta, who was featured posthumously on Season 4 of 'Dr Pimple Popper,' died "peacefully but unexpectedly" on May 18, 2019, according to his obituary. His mother took to YouTube to reveal the true cause of the young man's untimely death.

Kevin was a 31-year-old Petaluma, California resident. According to Kevin's obituary, he loved guitars, music, motorcycles, and cars. He was an electrician, working alongside his father in the hopes of inheriting the family company. He had a sweet and soft-spoken demeanor on the program, which quickly made him an audience favorite. So, what was the reason for the untimely demise of Kevin?

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How did Kevin Olaeta die?

'Catlinty,' a Reddit user, claimed to be Kevin's childhood buddy and disclosed that he had a heart problem in a Reddit thread. The user also claimed that he died in his sleep as a result of an enlarged heart. The comment read, "He died in his sleep from an enlarged heart. He, and his family had no idea. I knew him personally since childhood, and he was always an amazing, kind hearted guy." Surprisingly, neither the user nor his relatives were informed of the situation. Many other users expressed their condolences in the comments section of this post.

In a YouTube comment under the TLC video featuring Kevin, a user called Terry Jensen (claiming to be his mother) stated that he died five months after his procedure with Dr Sandra Lee due to Cardiac arrest, particularly Tachycardia and an enlarged heart. She wrote, "THIS IS KEVIN'S MOM. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SO MANY KIND COMMENTS. KEVIN DIED IN HIS SLEEP LAST MAY, OF CARDIAC ARREST DUE TO TACHYCARDIA AND AN ENLARGED HEART, FIVE MONTHS AFTER HIS PROCEDURE WITH DR. PIMPLE POPPER. APPARENTLY HIS KIND HEART WAS JUST TOO BIG FOR THIS LIFE."


 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Sandra Lee, MD, FAAD, FAACS (@drpimplepopper)


 

Dr Lee pays tribute to Kevin

Dr Lee, MD, renowned for her exceptional care and consideration for her patients, paid tribute to Kevin on Instagram soon after the episode broadcast. "I found out months after our taping that Kevin had passed away unexpectedly," Dr Lee wrote in the caption. "Love and strength to his family and friends, especially his father."

The episode's credits included the memorial "In Loving Memory of Kevin Olaeta 1988-2019."

In his episode, Kevin disclosed that ever since he became aware of the enlarging lump in his jaw, he had been dealing with a loss of confidence. The lump had initially been the size of his forefinger, but it had since continued to expand. When dealing with it got challenging, Kevin grew a goatee to hide it. Every time he went out with pals or went on dates, this became a deal-breaker, and it worked well. The mass was truly a cyst, according to Dr Lee, who performed the procedure to remove it. Sadly, Kevin passed away soon after the program was recorded and the operation.

Season 9 of 'Dr Pimple Popper' will premiere on April 5 at 9 pm ET on TLC. 

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