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He died that evening while with medical imaging and being treated for a heart fixed with surgery. In other attack. It was Stella’s 5th words, if John had been birthday—and six days shy screened for the aneurysm of when John would have prior to the aortic tear, he turned 55. might be alive today. “John was endlessly For a while, Amy curious about the world,” blended public sympathy says Amy, who chronicles with private grief. She’d her 10-plus years with John drop Stella at kindergar- in her new book, With Love ten. Then, wearing John’s and Laughter, John Ritter Dodgers cap, she’d drive (Simon & Schuster, 2010). around the school’s neigh- “From the nerdiest little borhood, circling it like facts to the big mysteries of a protective hawk, before life, we talked about every- coming home to boxes of thing. I miss him.” letters from her late hus- band’s fans. In the end, Getting the facts she credits John’s admir- After his death, reports ers for jump-starting her swirled that John had suc- medical education. cumbed to an “undetect- “People would come up able heart defect.” But, by to me to say how sad they then, Amy knew the shock- were. They’d also tell me ing truth: John’s condition how pissed off they were,” Dear John was neither “undetectable” says Amy, “because they nor heart-induced. Despite knew somebody else who heart attack-like symp- had survived this. With Losing her my Yasbeck’s life changed three times on Her husband, the toms, doctors found that the information they gave September 11. On that day in 1998, the beloved actor John Ritter, John had died of a thoracic me, they helped me learn husband, John actress—who became popular co-starring in fell ill on the set of his aortic dissection—a tear in about this disease.” Ritter, sent Athe TV sitcom Wings and opposite Jim Carrey in the film television sitcom, 8 Simple the wall of his aorta, the Amy then read what The Mask—celebrated the birth of her daughter, Stella. In Rules for Dating My Teenage body’s largest artery. The would become a series of Amy Yasbeck 2001, she joined the world in mourning the loss of 3,000- Daughter. He was rushed condition is normally pre- Pulitzer Prize-winning into action— plus innocent lives in the attacks against the U.S. And, to a local California hos- ceded by a thoracic aortic articles in the Wall Street with love. on Sept. 11, 2003—one day before her 41st birthday—she pital after complaining of aneurysm, a bulging of the Journal that linked aortic suddenly and tragically found herself widowed. nausea and chest pains. aortic wall that can be seen Continued on page 16
10 Heart Care HEALTH MONITOR HealthMonitor.com 11 Cover Story
Continued from page 11 At first, everyone’s aortic dissection.” RISK FACTORS for Aortic Disease health to family his- results appeared normal. But Amy won’t stop tory. After contacting the But, in 2007, after suffer- there. Having set up ily cases,” she says. “We have a lot more experts referenced, she ing a stroke, Tommy was her computer to receive Dianna Milewicz, genes to identify.” now knew of one poten- rescanned. The result: Google alerts on aortic MD, PhD, a geneticist tially missed warning an aortic aneurysm in disease, she also has at the University of RISK FACTOR: Marfan syndrome, Loeys- sign: the death of John’s the exact location as the been known to make Texas Health Science Dietz syndrome, Turner syndrome, vas- father, Tex, the famed one that had killed John. calls nationwide, reach- Center at Houston, cular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and other singing cowboy and film Tommy underwent sur- ing out to families that says most patients genetic syndromes star, of a presumed heart gery to repair the aorta have lost a loved one to a with aortic disease are Of those listed, the most common is attack. Could Tex Ritter and, at 63, he is doing fine. fatal dissection. in their 60s. However, Marfan syndrome; it affects roughly have had an aortic aneu- This entire experience “Occasionally they she adds, “it’s not uncommon to be one in 5,000 people. Marfan patients rysm like John? No one would say, ‘Well, you in your mid-50s, like John Ritter.” Men often are very tall, with long arms, legs will ever know. called during the memori- are slightly more prone to the condition and fingers; they also commonly have al service.’ Then they’d put than women, at a ratio of 1.5 to 1. Below scoliosis (curvature of the spine), chest- me on speaker phone,” are two key risk factors, and what to do wall deformities, an enlarged or bulg- If John had been says Amy. “They might if you have one of them. ing aorta and eye problems, such as have just lost a brother, detached lenses. screened for the a father or a child, and RISK FACTOR: Having a family member “Many people, when referred to me, aneurysm prior to they’re sitting in the parlor with aortic disease ask in regards to their child: ‘Is this the aortic tear, he of their house. And here I If a person is diagnosed with an aortic Marfan syndrome—or just a tall, skinny might be alive today am on the phone, saying, aneurysm, he or she should take a sim- kid?’ ” says Dr. Milewicz. “Those refer- ‘I’ve got information on ple blood test to see if there is evidence rals are totally appropriate; you don’t how we can protect our of a genetic alteration. Genes known to want to miss this disease. Undiagnosed Protecting the family has contributed to what kids from this.’ ” carry alterations are TGFBR1, TGFBR2, Marfan patients, on average, die in their Shortly after John’s death, Amy calls her obsession: Amy calls her own ACTA2 and MYH11. If an alteration is 40s of aortic dissection.” family members were to inform the public child, Stella, now 12, an detected, other family members should Other risk factors include a bicuspid scanned for indicators of about aortic disease. To aortic health “warrior.” be tested. Those carrying the alteration aortic valve and long-standing hyperten- thoracic aortic aneurysm, that end, she created The Like John’s older children, should undergo an imaging exam—an sion. For more information, contact This included Stella, as John Ritter Foundation Stella is scanned every echocardiogram, MRI or CT scan— the Thoracic Aortic Disease Coalition well as the children from for Aortic Health (www. other year. Says Amy, every two or three years for life. (www.TADCoalition.org) or the National John’s previous marriage— johnritterfoundation.org) with motherly pride, “Two If the relative with the aneurysm Marfan Foundation (www.Marfan.org). Jason (30), Carly (28) and in October 2003. The years ago, Stella sent out tests negative for these gene altera- Tyler (26)—and John’s website offers “Ritter her echocardiogram as her tions, each family member should still older brother Tommy, who Rules,” with “lifesaving Valentine’s card to mem- undergo imaging. Why? According to Web Extra! For more info on had been diagnosed with reminders to recognize, bers of our family.” Dr. Milewicz, alterations to those four heart-related conditions, visit www.healthmonitor.com cerebral palsy as a child. treat and prevent thoracic —Lisa Bernhard genes “explain only about a fifth of fam-
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