my own interest in the sudden death syndrome gained impetus from the unexpected death of my identical twin brother from a heart attack in 1963. exactly 11 months later less one day the last day of mourning according to the jewish faith I, too, sufferward a heart attack. this occurred during the emotional strain of anticipating thr first anniversary of my twin’s death.
Soon afterward, I began collecting newspaper clippings on sudden death. With the aid of colleagues and medical examiners around the world, I compiled 275 cases in which death generally occurred within or hours of a major event in the person’s life. For the most part, the victims were not considered ill at the time; or, if they were ill, not in imminent danger of dying.
When we analyzed the circumstances surrounding these deaths, four categories emerged. The most common (135 deaths) involved an exceptionally traumatic disruption of a close human relationship or the anniversary of the loss of a loved one. fifty-seven of these deaths were immediately preceded by the collapse or death-often abrupt- of a loved one. Some survivors were reported to have cried out that they could not go on without the deceased. Many were in the midst of some frantic activity-attempting to revive the loved one or get help- when they, too, succumbed.
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