The man who helped terminally ill patients die has himself passed away. Jack Kevorkian, also known as "Dr. Death," died Friday morning reportedly of a pulmonary thrombosis. He was 83.
Pulmonary thrombosis is also known as deep-vein thrombosis, or DVT. It is a blood clot deep inside your body and is often located in the legs.
Kevorkian, a pathologist trained to diagnose illnesses, gained international attention when he said he assisted in the suicides of about 130 patients. He had long advocated for the rights of terminally ill patients who no longer wanted to live. In 1999, he was convicted of second-degree murder and served eight years in prison.
The year before, CBS's 60 Minutes aired a Mike Wallace interview with Kevorkian which shocked people across the world, including Huntsville. The piece showed controversial video of Kevorkian helping an ALS patient commit suicide. Just last year, HBO ran the biopic, You Don't Know Jack, which starred Al Pacino.
In the time leading up to his death, Kevorkian reportedly suffered from several ailments, including ones affecting his heart and liver. He was hospitalized twice in May for kidney issues and a fall.
Kevorkian was never married and had no children, but a nice and his attorney were by his side when he died.
If you have questions about DVT or other pulmonary related health, you might want to call Huntsville Pulmonary Medicine at (256) 533-1528 or contact your family physician.
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