Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Actress Lucille Ball died April 26, 1989 from an abdominal aortic aneurysm. At the time of her death, she was in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center recovering from emergency surgery performed just six days earlier because of a dissecting aortic aneurysm near her heart. Ball was at increased risk, as she had been a heavy smoker for decades.
Love Letters to the Dead
On the one year anniversary of May's death, Laurel has reached the point in her letters to dead people and with her friends, that she tells the whole story of how May died. On that evening, she and May went to the theater, as they often did. May met her older boyfriend Paul, leaving Laurel with Paul's friend Billy who took advantage of their times together to molest her. On this evening Billy sexually abused Laurel. On the way home from the theater May was agitated and wanted to stop at a bridge over a river where she and Laurel had played Pooh Sticks. There is friction between the sisters and Laurel tells May that Billy molests and abuses her. May goes out on the bridge railing, falls into the river and drowns. Laurel has struggled to understand if it was an accident or suicide.