On October 22, Mexican sports mourned the sad news of the passing of Fernando Valenzuela, iconic former baseball player. Initially, the circumstances of his death were unknown, but on November 12 it was finally revealed what caused his departure.
According to the death certificate obtained by the American portal TMZ Sports, Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea died of septic shock, with decompensated alcoholic cirrhosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis as underlying causes. Additionally, there was also mention of the possibility that he had suffered from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), which may have contributed to his demise.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder affecting one in a million people. This disease causes the progressive degeneration of the brain, resulting in dementia, loss of coordination, and eventually death. As it progresses, various symptoms manifest such as memory problems, personality changes, coordination difficulties, severe dementia, involuntary movements, blindness, and coma. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease, so the focus is on alleviating symptoms, as the progression is often very rapid and most affected individuals die within the year in which symptoms appear.
Fernando Valenzuela's funeral took place on November 6 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, where he was honored by Major League Baseball and the Dodgers, the team with which he left an indelible mark. Subsequently, his remains were transferred to Forest Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California, as a final resting place for this baseball legend.
