Alan Thicke died from ‘ruptured aorta’
Alan Thicke died from a "ruptured aorta".
The ‘Growing Pains’ actor suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19-year-old son Carter a week ago and his death certificate confirms that he died a few hours later from the ruptured aorta, TMZ reports.
Doctors performed surgery to open up the area around the heart and lungs for the 69-year-old actor but were unsuccessful and he passed away at Providence St. Joseph’s medical facility in Burbank, California.
Meanwhile, Tanya Callau, Alan’s wife, broke her silence to thank fans for the "outpouring of love" after his funeral this week.
In a statement released to E! News, she said: "It is with gut wrenching sadness and unbelievable grief that I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the outpouring of love and support during this unimaginable time.
"Through tears and smiles our dearest of family and friends came together at our home to celebrate the life of my sweet and devoted husband Alan Thicke. Along with my step sons and our combined extended family, we laid my beloved husband, soul mate and the patriarch of our family to rest. We ask that you respect our privacy during this time of profound mourning."
Her statement came after Alan’s showbiz friends including Bob Saget, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kris Jenner joined the late actor’s family at a memorial service over the weekend.
An attendee said: "The mood was very upbeat, it was more like a fun Vanity Fair Oscars party than a memorial. All of the speeches were fun and full of life. It was just the way Alan would have wanted it, more of a celebration of his life. Everyone was expressing how much they love him. It was truly amazing and straight out of a scene from a Hollywood movie."
During the celebration of Alan’s life, Leonardo made a speech where he thanked the star for being like a father figure to all of the ‘Growing Pains’ cast whilst Bill Maher showed off the ‘Thicke of the Night’ t-shirt he was gifted by the late actor.
