Oxford Woman Dies After Battling Rare Illness

The Oxford community rallied around Bridgette Turner and her husband, Preston, and son, John Preston for three months while Bridgette battled a rare autoimmune disorder. She died Tuesday at Vanderbilt Medical Center. Photo provided.

By Alyssa Schnugg
Staff writer
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Bridgette Turner’s fight and will to live inspired many in Oxford and beyond as the LOU community prayed for the Oxford business owner, mother and wife as she recently battled a rare autoimmune disease.

On Tuesday night, Turner died at Vanderbilt Medical Center. While her body lost the battle, those who knew her say her spirit will live on in all who knew and loved her.

Through social media, Turner’s family and friends continued to update on her condition. At midnight Tuesday, her husband Preston Turner announced that his wife had died.

“Tonight it is with the heaviest heart I’ve ever had that I bring you the news that I lost the sweetest and kindest and most beautiful person I’ve ever known, my wife Bridgette,” Turner wrote. “She fought so hard. I’ve never been so inspired. She touched so many. I’m proud to say she was my wife of 19 years. I love her so much and I will never stop loving her.”

Bridgette Turner. From LinkedIn.

In June, Turner, 44, started breaking out in hives and having extreme burning sensations on most of her limbs. After being treated originally for an allergic reaction, her symptoms only grew worse. 

After several surgeries and skin grafts, she had both feet and her left hand amputated, along with a portion of her right hand. Two weeks ago, Turner took a turn for the worse and developed pneumonia and blood infections. She slipped into a coma and was put on life support. She was taken off life support on Monday after the doctors said there was no hope of her waking up.

“She doesn’t even know how much she was loved and how inspiring she was to people,” Preston told Hottytoddy.com this morning.

Her condition continues to baffle doctors. There has been no official diagnosis; however, she did test positive for a blood-clotting disorder called Factor 5 Leiden, a disorder where the liver messes up its production of blood-clotting factors like protein C and S.

Turner is a Domino’s Pizza franchisee in north Mississippi who owned stores in West Point and Amory and supervised the Oxford Domino’s. She and Preston live in Oxford with their 14-year-old son, John Preston.

“I will love you forever and I’ll miss your just as much. I was your world and you were mine. You’re resting easy in Heaven now, the most peaceful you’ll ever be,” John Preston posted on Instagram Tuesday night.

A GoFundMe account set up for the Turners has raised more than $34,000.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time. Hottytoddy.com will announce service times and locations once they are complete.