Kalani David, a skating prodigy, allegedly died on Saturday after having a seizure while surfing off the coast of Costa Rica. He was 24. The Inertia, a surfing news website, broke the news of the Hawaiian surfer’s death first. According to the website, the skateboarding champion had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a cardiac disease. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome may induce tachycardia, which means his heart beats quickly at times. The illness affects between 0.1 and 0.3% of the worldwide population and is thought to be non-lethal to the majority of people. John Hopkins asserts:
“The greatest danger is sudden death due to a heart attack, which tachycardia may trigger.” However, this is highly unusual, happening in fewer than half of all instances.”
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In 2016, Kalani David had seizures associated with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
Kalani David had his first seizure as a result of the disease while skating in California in August 2016. In an Instagram post regarding the event, Kalani stated:
“I had a seizure, fell on my face, and woke up in an ambulance with my heart stopped.” When I arrived at the hospital, I had three seizures. “I’m very thankful to be alive.”
Later that year, over Christmas, he suffered another seizure. The late Hawaiian star had a seizure that lasted more than six hours, putting him in a two-day coma. When the event happened, the surfer was at home on Oahu. Later, in an interview with a surfing magazine, he stated:
“They don’t know for sure, but they think it’s because I have Wolf Parkinson-White Syndrome, which disrupts the electricity that runs through my heart. It causes an extra muscle to form on your heart, and that thing speeds your heart rate up way too fast, so I have to have surgery to remove the muscle.”
In 2017, he had surgery to remove excess muscle from his heart, which was causing the seizures.
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) is characterized by an “extra signaling channel between the upper and lower chambers of the heart that generates a rapid pulse.” The disease is a somewhat uncommon cardiac ailment that manifests itself at birth. WPW syndrome is not generally fatal, but it may lead to a variety of additional cardiac issues. Children and young adults might die from abrupt cardiac arrest caused by the disease.
Treatment for the illness comprises a variety of techniques such as medicines, cardioversion, and arrhythmia.
Kalani David’s friends remember him after his death.
Friends mourned and appreciated Kalani David after word of his death circulated on social media. Kelly, a surfer, posted an Instagram story saying:
“Kalani was one of the most skilled… surfer/skater on the planet, always pushing the boundaries whenever he was on his feet… Condolences to Kalani’s vast network of friends from coast to coast and throughout the world.”
Meanwhile, photographer Patrick Eichstaedt posted a snapshot of himself with Kalani David and explained how the two met when Kalani was just 6 years old. He extended his condolences and support to the skater’s family. Kalani’s family is attempting to get his remains out of Costa Rica so that he may be properly buried in Florida, America.
