Tiffany Brooks, the celebrated HGTV star, has captivated audiences not only with her design prowess but also with her resilience in the face of significant health challenges. Her story is one of perseverance, self-discovery, and inspiring others to prioritize their well-being. Brooks' journey encompasses significant weight loss, battles with autoimmune disease, and the profound impact of organ donation.
Early Health Struggles and Type 1 Diabetes
Tiffany Brooks joined the list of celebs who secretly dealt with big medical issues early, having been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was a child. Type 1 diabetes, a dangerous autoimmune disease, has been a lifelong companion, presenting numerous obstacles and life-or-death situations. Yet, the HGTV star, who is also known for competing alongside friend David Bromstad on "Rock the Block," didn't want her diagnosis to define her.
Pregnancy Complications and Kidney Failure
The autoimmune disease showed its most destructive side when she was pregnant in 2003. "I was lying 7.5 months pregnant in a hospital bed at Northwestern University. Amid her health struggles, Tiffany Brooks had to be induced a month early to protect her failing kidneys. In her 2013 essay, she shared that she gave birth to a baby who was very small for gestational age at just 3 pounds, 11 ounces, suggesting Ayden suffered from intrauterine growth restriction as a complication of her Type 1 diabetes. Despite his low birth weight, Ayden was able to breathe on his own. However, that wasn't enough to avoid NICU time. "He would be fed through a feeding tube and kept in an incubator, like the other premies until he was ready to come home," Brooks penned. Luckily, he didn't need much time to catch up and was feeding with no assistance in a matter of days.
Her kidneys and pancreas continued to suffer even after she gave birth. "By the time Ayden was released my kidneys had 30% of its function left," she shared. Tiffany had to learn to care for a newborn with the help of her mother while a nurse checked up on her. "I was barely strong enough to hold [my son] in my arms," she penned. After about a week, Tiffany was rushed to the ER. "My Doctor told me that if I had gotten there hours later, I would have been dead," she wrote. She needed dialysis three times a week. "I weighed 105 pounds, had jaundice of the skin, and at 24 I was on dialysis," she explained. It was grueling. That was her only pregnancy, but, as hard as it was, it gave Tiffany her son. Their mother-son bond is palpable.
The Impact of Organ Donation
After giving birth, Tiffany Brooks spent five months on dialysis treatment. "Dante [her then-husband] would keep me fed with Ensure meal replacement shakes and chicken breast. I could only have 12 oz of liquid a day total," she wrote in her essay. It was clear her kidney wasn't going to recover. She needed a new kidney. Her brother was a perfect match. "I received the greatest gift of a working kidney on February 4th, 2004," she wrote. A year later, she received a pancreas from an organ donor. "If this second transplant was successful this would take away my diabetes that had beat my a** for the past 20 years," she shared. The organ donations allowed Brooks to live a mostly normal life, raise her son, and develop her dream career.
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In September 2025, Brooks shared she had undergone transplant surgery once again. The $50K Three Ways host revealed via Instagram that she recently received a kidney and pancreas transplant. "I am blessed to share that I have been given another chance at life with a very special kidney and pancreas donor. I'm overcome with emotion for this amazing gift," she revealed on Instagram. She didn't explain why she needed the new organs. In her blog post, Tiffany celebrated eight years with no signs of rejection. However, it is common for organ recipients to need a new transplant later.
Weight Loss Journey and Lifestyle Changes
In 2016, she took the reins of what she could control. In a 2013 blog post, Brooks revealed that she has had “juvenile diabetes” since she was a child and that she only had 30% of her kidneys left functioning after she gave birth to her son in 2003. She implemented lifestyle changes that helped her drop 70 pounds and never looked back. Brooks also reflected on her weight loss journey in a September 2023 Instagram post. "That’s me 70lbs ago, in 2016. I was happy, beautiful, kicking ass in my career, but not healthy," she captioned then-and-now photos of herself. "So I made water a priority, ate 5 healthy meals/mini meals a day vs. Being on bullshit once a day. She added, “I guess my glow ups don’t just happen in houses.
Brooks focused on nutritious options that kept her fuller longer, which helped her avoid excessive eating that often happened when she went hours without food. "Now I'm more confident, collected, and feel like I can do anything, look younger than I did 10 years ago, and love shopping for clothes!" she celebrated.
Family Health Battles and Advocacy
Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the only time Ayden suffered at the hands of the disease, as he also developed Type 1 diabetes. Her own and her son's experiences inspired Tiffany to support the American Diabetes Association in an effort to raise awareness and funds for research. Last month, she celebrated the American Diabetes Association’s 85th anniversary via Instagram.
Her own and her son's weren't the only health battles to afflict Tiffany Brooks' family. Around 2018, her father died from pancreatic cancer, a loss she took really hard. Even though she doesn't share a lot about her private life on social media, she has celebrated her father a few times. "I love and miss this man every day I wake up. Happy Father's Day gentlemen! Tiffany keeps her father's memory alive through a family tradition of exchanging personalized Christmas ornaments. "My favorite ornament is of my father," she told People in 2020. "It's a picture of him two weeks before we found out that he had pancreatic cancer." The picture is particularly meaningful because it shows her father before he started losing weight as a result of the disease. He looked handsome in an attire that he didn't wear often. "My father did not dress up - he was a total jeans and tennis shoe guy - but he was wearing a suit and tie, and we were able to get this snapshot of him," she explained. Her family members, herself included, can get pretty competitive over the personalized ornaments. But she has to hand it to her niece for coming up with this one.
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Mental Health and Self-Care
Tiffany Brooks' lifelong health struggles took a toll beyond her physical well-being. In the aftermath of her difficult birth, her mental health tanked. "I hated eating, and living felt like a chore," she revealed in her essay. The treatment, the fear, the uncertainty, and the physical struggles drove her to her limit. "Illness and depression raged in my body," she wrote. In 2019, Brooks shared reminders for creative people who struggle with depression and/or anxiety. Those included affirmations like, "Your productivity does not determine your value," "It's okay to do nothing sometimes," and "You're allowed to rest." In the caption, she hinted at her mental health struggles, suggesting they carried over after her health crisis. In 2021, Brooks once again used social media to remind others to be mindful of people's struggles in their social interactions. She shared an onscreen message on Instagram that read: "You can't see other people's mental health. Be kind always." In the caption, she urged her followers to choose to be a source of positivity to those around them.
Continued Success and Inspiration
Brooks has appeared on several HGTV shows over the years, including Brother vs. Brother, HGTV Smart Home specials, Design at Your Door, Rock the Block, and Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge. Tiffany Brooks is grateful for things many of us take for granted.
Tiffany Brooks' journey is a testament to the power of resilience, self-care, and gratitude. Despite facing significant health challenges, she has achieved remarkable success in her career and inspired countless others with her story. Her commitment to raising awareness about diabetes and organ donation further solidifies her legacy as a role model and advocate for a healthier, more compassionate world.
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