While Katherine Heigl is no longer on Grey's Anatomy, her character, Izzie Stevens, made a big impression on fans. Izzie was smart, tough, and fought for what she believed in. She was equally ionate whether she was trying to help a patient or falling in love, and while some of her storylines might have gotten pretty silly by the end, she's still ed fondly.
Whether considering her childhood, some of the things that happened to her at the hospital, or her greatest love stories, it's plain to see that Izzie faced a lot of pain during her six seasons.
She Had A Sad Upbringing
While Meredith Grey had a difficult childhood, she did come from a life of wealth and privilege. Her mom was famous and paved the way for Meredith herself to become a doctor.
Izzie's upbringing couldn't have more different. She grew up poor and lived in a trailer park, and her mom ignored her and didn't provide a safe and stable home. This experience made Izzie strong and also taught her to care about others, but it was definitely terrible. Izzie didn't end up poor, though, as Denny gave her millions of dollars.
Got Pregnant As A Teenager And Gave Her Baby Away (Only To Learn She Had Cancer)
Izzie's hard life continued as she became pregnant in high school and gave her baby away. This is one of the hardest things that she had to go through and it haunted her forever. It's tough to imagine that someone can really move on from this situation completely, as they would always think about their child and what could have been.
In the third season episode "Time After Time," Izzie realized that Hannah, one of the patients at the hospital, was actually her baby. It was even sadder when Izzie learned that Hannah had leukemia.
She Fell For Denny, Got Engaged, And He Died
It didn't take long for Izzie to fall in love with Denny Duqette. He was equally funny and moving, and watching these two connect was super emotional.
One of the saddest things about Izzie is the fact that after she and Denny decided to get married, he ed away. It was even worse because she attempted to save him, but he had a stroke and died. This was an unexpected love story, as Izzie definitely didn't expect to fall for a patient, and the grief was horrible.
She Loved Alex And He Broke Up With Her
Izzie and Alex might have seemed like a random couple. Izzie was sweet and optimistic despite her childhood and Alex was bitter, sarcastic, and thought of himself as a ladies' man who could do anything that he wanted.
After these two were together for a while, Alex decided to break up with Izzie. This was one of the worst pains she experienced, as she had thought that they would end up together. Of course, they did, but it would be a while before that happened.
She Was Diagnosed With Cancer
Just like Cristina Yang experienced a lot of tragedy, Izzie never seemed to catch a break on Grey's Anatomy.
In season 5, Izzie was diagnosed with cancer, and it was a terrifying experience for her and her fellow doctors. This is one of the worst things that anyone can go through and as a doctor herself, Izzie was well aware of how bad things could get.
She Lost Her Friend George
George O'Malley had some perfect quotes and he was Izzie's best friend. They bonded as interns in the first season and experienced all the ups and downs of becoming involved in this tragic and complicated field.
George's tragic and sudden ing rocked the whole hospital and Izzie, in particular, took it really hard, since she was so close to him. No one thinks that they will lose a friend and they can never be prepared for this grief.
The Others Teased Her For Being A Model
Izzie had a perfect comeback when the other characters teased her about being a model. While her fellow interns thought that it was a big joke, as she modeled lingerie, she knew that she was simply doing what she had to do.
Izzie was able to pay for her own medical school, which is amazing, especially considering how she came from nothing. Despite how proud she was, though, it was hard to be the laughingstock of the hospital.
She Got Fired From The Hospital (And Thought It Was Alex's Doing)
Season 6 wasn't a happy one for Izzie Stevens. She got fired from the hospital and had to think about what was next.
Considering how much Izzie had been through there, both good and bad, it was an especially devastating blow. It was even worse when she realized that Alex must have been the reason why she got fired. Since she was recovering from her illness, he told Richard Weber that Izzie needed more time away from work. Izzie was really upset when she discovered that.
She Literally Thought She Could See Denny's Ghost
Whether or not Izzie and Denny were soulmates, this was a super dramatic and difficult romance for both characters. Denny knew that he could die and they were both risking their hearts.
After he died, Izzie saw Denny's ghost, and this is something that people are still astonished by, all of these years later. This is definitely one of the saddest things about Izzie, as she had to mourn him all over again during this experience. Seeing his spirit was a painful reminder that she couldn't really be with him.
She And Alex Got Together But It Was An Awful, Guilt-Inducing Storyline
After Alex said goodbye to Grey's Anatomy, fans wondered about what could happen to Jo. It was horrible for Alex to marry Jo and then leave her for Izzie.
Sure, Izzie and Alex could view this as a happily ever after, as they were able to raise their twins and finally be together again. But in order for this to happen, Alex broke someone's heart, and this was bound to make Izzie feel at least some level of guilt. This wasn't exactly a clean break or a smooth path to happiness.
