Rose Siggins From American Horror Story: Freak Show Dies at Age 43, Is Mourned by Co-Stars

She played Legless Suzi on the FX series

By Corinne Heller Dec 12, 2015 9:26 PMTags
Rose SigginsTonya Wise/Invision/AP

Rose Siggins, who played Legless Suzi on American Horror Story: Freak Show, has died at age 43.

The actress passed away on Saturday at a Denver hospital after suffering complications from kidney stone surgery, her manager confirmed to E! News. She is survived by two children, son Luke, 16, and daughter Shelby, 5, and was mourned publicly by many of her co-stars.

Many of her co-stars paid tribute to her on social media. A GoFundMe page was recently created to raise funds to help care of her kids. More than $3,100 was donated in less than a day.

"I'm sad to report that Rose has passed away this morning around 7:30am," read a message posted on the fundraising page. "All funds raised will now be directed to final expenses and the continuing support of her children."

"I suppose Elsa Mars said it best: "The death of a beloved monster is always a sorrow, but never a surprise. If oddly-formed organs or a random physical anomaly doesn't claim them, then it is at the sheer density of their blaze. A carny's life burns and brighter than most. It is bound to extinguish sooner,'" the page also reads, quoting a line said by Jessica Lange's character on American Horror Story: Freak Show

After her death, many of her former co-stars posted tributes to her on social media.

"The AHS family lost one of our own..." cast member Sarah Paulson said on Twitter. "Rose Siggins was an absolute light...I will never forget your laugh or your beautiful eyes."

"Your life touched mine & made it's lasting impression...Of love, grace, courage & beauty," co-star Angela Bassett tweeted. "God's angels sing thee to thy rest."

Gabourey Sidibe said she was "so sorry to hear of the passing of Rose Siggins."

"I pray for her children," she tweeted. "Please donate if you can."

"We are saddened to learn of the passing of Rose Siggins," FX Networks and show producers said in a joint statement to E! News. "She was beloved by everyone in the AHS family. She was a kind person, a loving mother and a very talented actor. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this time."

American Horror Story: Freak Show marked the fourth season of the FX series. Season five, American Horror Story: Hotel, began airing in October. Siggins told E! News' Kristin Dos Santos in 2014 she was hesitant to join Freak Show

Watch: Meet the Special-Ability Stars of "American Horror Story"

Siggins, often dubbed the "World's Smallest Mom," was born with Sacral Agenesis, a rare disorder marked by a deformation of the spine, and had her legs amputated when she was 2. She grew up in Pueblo, Colorado. During her childhood, she tried walking with prosthetic limbs but found them too painful, so she later started using a skateboard to get around.

"My skateboard's so important to me—it is the difference between feeling trapped and feeling free," she told Redbook magazine earlier this year.

She married her husband Dave in 1999, the same year she gave birth to Luke. After he turned 3, her mother died of cancer, after which she helped take care of her father and brother.

"Many have said I have a great moral strength and a remarkable attitude but I owe an enormous thank you to my mom," she wrote on her website. "She would always say, 'A lot of people with disabilities feel that life owes them something, just remember no one owes you a dime. The world doesn't owe you anything, this is what you have and you use your resources and you get through it.'"

—Additional reporting by Kristin Dos Santos