The tragic death of 28-year-old Ahmonique Miller, a young mother from Las Vegas, is now at the center of a police investigation.
Miller died while recovering from cosmetic surgery at an unlicensed facility in Miami.
Miller had traveled to Florida with her younger sister, 19-year-old Kiera Barnes, in early March for cosmetic procedures at Avana Plastic Surgery Clinic.
The sisters documented their journey on social media, sharing excitement about their plans to undergo surgery and recover together in a facility advertised as a post-surgery recovery house.
That excitement turned to heartbreak when Ahmonique was found unresponsive on March 7 inside Keyla’s Recovery House, a residence on SW 4th Street that authorities say was “operating as an illegal post-plastic surgery recovery home.”
According to a Miami Police incident report, first responders found Ahmonique face down on a bed, heavily bandaged, and already in rigor mortis—a sign she had been dead for hours before help arrived.
“She’s not calling, she’s not going to send a text,” said her mother, Wakeelah, in an emotional interview with NBC6 Investigates. “Ahmonique is not coming back.”
Wakeelah said her daughters paid $1,500 each to stay six nights at Keyla’s Recovery House. She’s now demanding answers about how the business was allowed to operate and why there weren’t safeguards in place to protect her daughter.
“My daughter is supposed to be here with her daughter,” Wakeelah said, referring to Ahmonique’s one-year-old child. “And unfortunately, she is not.”
Authorities continue to investigate the recovery home and the circumstances surrounding Ahmonique’s death.
The tragedy has reignited concerns about the safety of medical tourism and the regulation of post-surgery recovery centers, particularly those catering to out-of-state patients.
As her family grieves, Wakeelah is also calling for stronger oversight and legislative change to prevent other families from experiencing the same devastating loss.
“She was a mother, a sister, a daughter. She deserved to come home,” she said.
