'Teen Mom' Amber Portwood Loses Dad to Illness, Thanks Fans for Prayers and Love
"Teen Mom's" Amber Portwood's father passed away on Tuesday evening, and now the star is in mourning for the man she credits with helping her turn her life around.
"I just want to say thank you for all your kind words. This is a heartbreaking time for my family your prayers help..love always," Amber tweeted to her 103,000 followers.
Her brother, Shawn Jr. opened up about the closeness he and Amber shared with their father and the devastation of the loss.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"My dad was the most important person in Amber's and my life," Shawn told Daily Mail. "He was a very strong-willed person and even though he was battling illness for a very long time, he never gave up. He didn't give up on life. He didn't give up on his family. He didn't want to give up. He lived through pain for many years but it didn't prevent him from sticking it through all the way to the end."
Amber hasn't always been close to her father, but once she began turning her life around by entering jail and receiving treatment for her drug addiction and anger issue things began to change. After she was released from prison, Amber was surprised by seeing her father again and the two built a new relationship. However, Shawn struggled with illness and underwent liver surgery before being placed in a medically-induced coma and finally passing away.
"I know that he helped Amber because he gave her strength to get better," Shawn said. "He is the reason she was able to turn her life around. He set the precedent for what she needed to do to get better. What Amber was able to accomplish by getting her life back on track had a lot to do with our dad. I know for a fact that he was always proud of what we accomplished, me and Amber. He was proud that she was able to get through those tough times."
"I want him to be remembered for his love for God, his children, family, and especially his grandchildren who he talked about constantly," Shawn added.
The family is now busy making funeral arrangements for Shawn Sr., who passed away at the age of 50. Amber will next be seen on the upcoming season of "Teen Mom," which airs on MTV.
