Florence Griffith Joyner passed away from a congenital vascular malformation in her brain
I was reading this article and it sounds like these people just don't have the right words for AVM. Did she die from an AVM?
Olympian Florence Griffith Joyner, 38, died in September of an epileptic seizure and suffocated face down in her sleep, according to the coroner's report in Orange County, CA.
The release of the autopsy results is expected to put to rest the ongoing rumors that drug use somehow contributed to her death. She died at her home in Mission Viejo, CA.
At a news conference, Lt. Hector Rivera of the Orange County Sheriff's Dept. said, "she suffered a seizure caused by a `cavernous angioma' in the left frontal cerebrum, a congenital abnormality. The seizure suffered caused her to turn her face into a pillow, which in essence restricted her intake of oxygen, causing her to asphyxiate."
Her husband, Al Joyner, held a news conference and blasted the media for making the drug charges. Near tears, he told reporters he only recently saw reports that had come out suggesting the possibility of drug use. He said the reports were "so insensitive of me and my daughter who has to go on living ... My wife took the ultimate alternate drug test."
He and other family members released a statement: "The results of the investigation confirm the fact that Florence Griffith Joyner passed away from a congenital vascular malformation in her brain. There were no heart problems and there was no indication of any drug or steroid use, past or present. Her remarkable achievements remain unspoiled. The family appreciates the tremendous outpouring of support and compassion. We, and the world, will carry in our hearts a loving memory of this extraordinary woman. Thank you for respecting our peace and her memory."
Flo Jo's seizure lasted anywhere from a few minutes to just less than an hour said Dr. Richard I. Fukumoto, the county's chief forensic pathologist. He added that such seizures rarely lead to death. Twenty-five percent of the population suffers from the same malady that afflicted Flo Jo--a congenital weakness of a blood vessel in the brain called cavernous angioma, said Dr. Barbara Zaias of the coroner's office. She said 10% to 15% of those people suffer from seizures.
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