John Ritter passed away on September 11, 2003, at the age of 54. The famed actor, who was working on the set of 8 Simple Rules when he suffered a fatal aortic dissection. Now, 23 years later, there is a belief that a misdiagnosis ultimately led to Ritter's passing.
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"We always heard, 'Oh those Ritters die of their first and last heart attack,' " Amy Yasbeck, Ritter's widow, told The New York Post. "[John's dad] clutched his chest and fell over. He was 60-something years old."
Amy then continued by admitting that, at the time Ritter was admitted to the hospital, he was being treated for a heart attack.
"The sad truth of the matter is that because it's so much more common for it to be a heart thing, John was treated for a heart attack before they had done any imaging, and that exacerbated it," Amy explained. "This happens way too often."
As such, Ritter's family is discussing his death once again, as a way to try and raise awareness of aortic dissection and the dangers that come with it.
"We're just ringing the alarm," said Tyler Ritter, John's second son. "If we can catch it ahead of time, we can prevent it."
Kaley Cuoco Recently Paid Tribute to John Ritter
When speaking at the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health's annual Evening From the Heart Gala, former 8 Simple Rules actress Kaley Cuoco paid tribute to Ritter, recalling the day he died as one of the worst days of her life.
"When he passed away, I don't want to get dramatic, but I can truly say that was one of the worst days of my life," Cuoco explained. "I remember having to remind myself that I wasn't his kid. I remember for weeks after, I was like, 'Gosh, I feel like I lost my dad.'"
Cuoco continued by remembering Ritter's sense of humor and the impact he had on her life.
"He was so funny," she said. "I took all that with me in life and the jobs I had after. He always has been the north star in my career and somebody who I adore."
Now, there will undoubtedly be hope that by bringing up Ritter's death once again, others won't undergo a similar misdiagnosis. After all, an aortic dissection is incredibly dangerous and carries a high mortality rate.
