PHILADELPHIA -- Mary Tender, a woman who captured the hearts of so many people in the Philadelphia area, has died.

NBC 10's medical reporter Cherie Bank followed the woman referred to by everyone as Miss Mary for about a year and a half.

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Mary Tender Slideshows:
Her Condition | New Mattress | 210 Pounds Lighter
Videos: Report | Vlog

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Many from the Philadelphia area reached out to help Miss Mary when they learned about her condition that swelled her legs to a size unimaginable to most people.

She died at Temple University Hospital late last week.

Her daughter said her heart just gave out.

For 30 years, Miss Mary lived like a prisoner unable to leave her house as the result of fluid build up in her legs called lymphedema.

Her legs developed a form of elephantiasis and became too large for her to move about on her own.

But through the kindness of many NBC 10 viewers and a dedicated medical team, Miss Mary got the care she needed.

Doctors controlled her condition enough for her to walk again, and the money raised by NBC 10 viewers help buy needed medical equipment and even a special bed that she said made life easier.