Ohio State alumna protester died from a complication with undiagnosed genetic disorder

Jack Long
Fri, 10 Jul 2020 20:32:16 +0000
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Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State

Ohio State alumna Sarah Grossman’s death occurred after a blood vessel in her heart was torn as a result of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and the coroner ruled her death as natural.

The genetic disorder was previously undiagnosed, according to a release from the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office and Grossman’s family. Grossman, 22, died May 30 at Sycamore Hospital in Miamisburg, Ohio. Grossman graduated Ohio State in May with a degree in environment and natural resources and Spanish.

According to the National Institutes of Health, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome “is a group of disorders that affect connective tissues supporting the skin, bones, blood vessels, and many other organs and tissues. Defects in connective tissues cause the signs and symptoms of these conditions, which range from mildly loose joints to life-threatening complications.”

Previous social media reports said her death could have been a result from being sprayed with an aerosol following a Black Lives Matter protest she attended in Columbus May 28.