Stella Malucchi ( th, สเตลล่า มาลูกี้) is an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

- Colombian former model and actress based in Thailand. Fluent in the Thai language, she has primarily worked in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, and has acted in two films, ''

Tears of the Black Tiger ''Tears of the Black Tiger'' ( th, ฟ้าทะลายโจร, or ''Fa Thalai Chon'', literally, " the heavens strike the thief") is a 2000 Thai action-adventure film written and directed by Wisit Sasanatieng. The story of a tragic roma ...

'' and '' Angulimala''.

Career

For her first film, ''Tears of the Black Tiger'', she was spotted in a Thai music video by director

Wisit Sasanatieng Wisit Sasanatieng ( th, วิศิษฏ์ ศาสนเที่ยง; ; born June 28, 1963) is a Thai film director and screenwriter of Chinese descent. Best known for his colourful debut feature film, ''Tears of the Black Tiger'', he is ...

, who thought she would be perfect for the role of Rumpoey. Through make-up and costuming, Malucchi was transformed into a young, noble-born Thai woman in 1950s Thailand. She studied at

Ruamrudee International School Ruamrudee International School (RIS, , ) is an international school in Min Buri District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is an international school for students in pre-school - grade 12 incorporated under the laws of the Kingdom of Thailand as a non-profi ...

. Stella fell ill one week after she gave birth to her son on Jan 2, and was admitted into hospital On Jan 24, 2010. After being directly admitted into ICU, she lost consciousness and lapsed into a coma. Tests revealed that she had

hyperparathyroidism Hyperparathyroidism is an increase in parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in the blood. This occurs from a disorder either within the parathyroid glands (primary hyperparathyroidism) or as response to external stimuli (secondary hyperparathyroidism). ...

, a rare disease in which a defective

parathyroid gland Parathyroid glands are small endocrine glands in the neck of humans and other tetrapods. Humans usually have four parathyroid glands, located on the back of the thyroid gland in variable locations. The parathyroid gland produces and secretes pa ...

allows dangerously high calcium levels (

hypercalcaemia Hypercalcemia, also spelled hypercalcaemia, is a high calcium (Ca2+) level in the blood serum. The normal range is 2.1–2.6 mmol/L (8.8–10.7 mg/dL, 4.3–5.2 mEq/L), with levels greater than 2.6 mmol/L defined as hypercalcemia ...

). Being too weak for an operation to remove her parathyroid, she was placed on an artificial lung and heart machine. After five days and requiring

dialysis Dialysis may refer to: *Dialysis (chemistry), a process of separating molecules in solution **Electrodialysis, used to transport salt ions from one solution to another through an ion-exchange membrane under the influence of an applied electric pote ...

several times a day, Stella showed signs of improvement. Unfortunately, complications soon developed. A restricted blood-flow to her right leg caused infection and an above-the-knee

amputation Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indi ...

was required. Soon after the removal of the leg, and with signs of infection having disappeared, Stella's parathyroid gland was then safely removed, ensuring her survival. Stella woke from the coma one month after she was admitted.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Malucchi, Stella Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Italian female models Colombian female models Italian film actresses Colombian film actresses Italian expatriates in Thailand Colombian expatriates in Thailand 21st-century Italian actresses 21st-century Colombian actresses