Over the years Medicalwatch has followed a young woman who fought many health battles. She was a young woman who made medical history, twice.

But now it is with sadness that we say goodbye to a special and brave person.

In 2002, high school student Winnie Hills made medical history. For a Weightloss Wednesday segment, she had already lost 150 pounds from her 450 pound body so that she could be one of the youngest people ever to go through Lapband surgery.

Back in 2002, she said, "God is like of course that's my center that's where I revolve everything around. He's gives me a lot of strength and I think he positioned me to be who I am in order to help other people."

Five months after that ring was implanted to make the opening to her stomach smaller, Winnie was down another 100 pounds.

“I just feel privileged to know that I've contributed my part to medicine to mankind to people," she said in her new slimmer body.  

But last year Winne called Medicalwatch saying even though she was her thinnest ever, doctors had discovered a 40 pound tumor in her abdomen.

In December 2007, she said crying, "The only thing I could think about was what did I do to deserve this? I just kept going though my head and saying, ‘I haven't done anybody anything!’"

It was a rare cancer. Again Winnie wanted to make medical history by trying two drugs being studied at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland.

Viewer letters and donations poured in to help Winnie. But because of a low blood count, she never got to make the trip. She was mailed medication to try.

Saturday with her mother, aunts and family at her side at Tulane Medical Center, Winnifer Hills told her mother the pain was too intense and asked for her blessing to give up the fight. She was 22-years-old.

Services are Saturday at the Liberty in Christ Christian Church at 10100 River Road in St. Rose, viewing will be at 9 a.m and services at 11 a.m.