Abernathy died June 9, 2007, in Shorewood, Wisconsin, from complications of cystic fibrosis. She was 25 years old. She was the second alumnus of "The Real World" to die, after Pedro Zamora. As with Zamora's struggle with AIDS, Abernathy is credited by MTV.com with helping to raise national awareness of cystic fibrosis and putting a face on the disease. Abernathy's housemate Jacquese Smith, with whom she was the closest, was particularly devastated by her death and by having not kept in touch with her, as was fellow housemate Jamie Chung. Abernathy's mother, Abbie Hunter, said about her time on the show: