An aortic aneurysm triggered the demise of Grant Wahl, an American sportswriter who collapsed and died final week whereas overlaying a World Cup match in Qatar, his spouse stated on Wednesday.
“Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium,” his spouse, doctor Celine Gounder, wrote in a press release.
An aortic aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge within the aorta, the massive artery that carries blood from the guts by means of the chest and torso, based on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s web site.
“First and foremost, on behalf of myself and our family, I want to express our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of support, love, and sympathy from around the world,” Gounder wrote.
Wahl, 48, a former Sports activities Illustrated author who had moved to the Substack on-line publishing platform, was tweeting in regards to the Netherlands-Argentina match on Friday when he collapsed.
His agent had earlier informed Reuters that Wahl had appeared to undergo some form of acute misery through the quarterfinal match. Makes an attempt have been made to revive Wahl within the press field earlier than he was taken to a hospital, the place he was confirmed useless.
“No amount of CPR or (defibrillator) shocks would have saved him,” Gounder stated on Wednesday.
Wahl wrote early final week that he had visited a hospital whereas in Qatar and that well being officers informed him he possible had bronchitis.
His physique was flown again on Monday to the US, the place the New York Metropolis Medical Examiner’s workplace carried out an post-mortem.
“While the world knew Grant as a great journalist, we knew him as a man who approached the world with openness and love,” Gounder wrote. “Grant was an incredibly empathetic, dedicated, and loving husband, brother, uncle, and son who was our greatest teammate and fan. We will forever cherish the gift of his life.”
In late November, Wahl made information when he wrote that he was stopped at a World Cup stadium safety screening level when he tried to enter a match whereas sporting a rainbow shirt in help of the LGBTQ group. He stated safety requested him to take away his shirt. Identical-sex relations are unlawful in Qatar.
Memorial providers for Wahl are nonetheless being deliberate, his widow stated.
