John Ritter 'would still be with us' if more was known about cause of death, says pal Richard Kline
John Ritter died from an aortic dissection on September 11, 2003, at the age of 54.
Richard Kline thinks John Ritter would still be alive if more was known about his cause of death.
The Three's Company actor's co-star passed away at the age of 54 on September 11, 2003, after suffering an aortic dissection, described by Mayo Clinic as a "medical emergency in which a tear happens in the inner layer of the body's main artery".
The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health was set up in the entertainer's memory, and Richard, 82, thinks its success in teaching people about the condition would have saved his pal's life 26 years ago.
Attending the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health's Evening From the Heart New York event, a celebration marking 50 years of Three's Company with Jason Biggs, 48, and other cast members, on Monday (02.11.26), Richard declared the foundation "incredibly important".
He added to People: "Had we had this kind of knowledge in 2003, my dear departed friend John would still be with us.
"The work that Amy, his wife, has been doing and the foundation has been doing for the last 20-some-odd years is incredible.
"Little-known fact: It saved the life of John’s brother because he was then scanned and diagnosed for an aortic tear.
"He went into the operating room. Saved his life. It’s an honor to be here and to be with my peers. Looking forward to it."
Actress Amy Yasbeck, 64, who was married to John from 1999 until his death, recalled her late husband's medical emergency.
She said: "John died in 2003 of an undiagnosed, and then misdiagnosed in the emergency room, thoracic aortic dissection. We were educated after that by Dr Dianna Milewicz, who’s here and is the star genetic researcher in aortopathies in the field.
"The first thing she said to me was, ‘Everyone needs an echocardiogram, and then keep that up every year to make sure that your aorta doesn’t become aneurysmal,’ which is like that ballooning, right? Because that’s when a dissection can happen."
Elaborating on John's brother Tom's life-saving surgery, she continued: "Four years on from when John passed away, Tom’s showed an aneurysm in the ascending portion, which is right where John’s was.
"So he had lifesaving surgery. He had his aortic arch replaced.
"Then it was like, 'OK, this is on. This is genetic.' Their father was a singing cowboy named Tex Ritter, and he died suddenly of what was, in those days, deemed to be and assumed to be a heart attack.
"But now we know it was most likely an aortic dissection."
Amy is the founder and chairperson of The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health, which "works to fund research, provide education, and raise awareness of thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection".
And she thinks more work needs to be done to teach people about aortic dissection.
Amy said: "There’s definitely a pre-John Ritter awareness and a post-John Ritter awareness.
"Sadly, John died in the waning hours of the pre-John Ritter awareness. So now we know it’s not as rare as people thought, and there are steps you can take to avoid a family tragedy."
