Latest news with #Cloudberry
The Guardian
20-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Santa Fe clinic says Gene Hackman's wife called them the day after police say she died
A private healthcare clinic in New Mexico has cast doubt on official findings about the timing of the death of Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, claiming that she rang them on 12 February – the day after police say she died. Dr Josiah Child, the head of Cloudberry Health in Santa Fe, where the couple lived, told the Mail on Sunday: 'Mrs Hackman didn't die on 11 February because she called my clinic on 12 February.' Postmortem results indicated that Arakawa died of hantavirus, a rare rodent-borne respiratory disease, on 11 February, a week before her husband is believed to have died from heart disease. His pacemaker showed no activity after 18 February; he is also believed to have suffered from advanced Alzheimer's disease. 'She'd called me a couple of weeks before her death to ask about getting an echocardiogram [heart scan] for her husband,' said Dr Child. 'She was not a patient of mine, but one of my patients recommended Cloudberry to her. She made an appointment for herself for 12 February. It was for something unrelated to anything respiratory.' Dr Child added that two days before her appointment was due, she cancelled it, saying Hackman was unwell. 'She [then] called back on the morning of 12 February and spoke to one of our doctors who told her to come in that afternoon. 'We made her an appointment but she never showed up. She did not show any symptoms of respiratory distress. The appointment wasn't for anything related to hantavirus. We tried calling her a couple of times with no reply.' Dr Child also confirmed to the BBC that Arakawa 'described some congestion but didn't mention any respiratory distress, shortness of breath, or chest pain'. The Santa Fe county sheriff's office now say they have confirmed that Arakawa made multiple calls to a health clinic on 12 February. It remains unclear why these calls have taken so long to come to light, as her previous date of death was predicated on her apparently having no communication by email after 11 February. That day she was also seen visiting a number of Santa Fe shops, including a chemist, pet food store and supermarket. Arakawa, 65, was found on the bathroom floor of the couple's home, with a portable heater nearby, and pills scattered on a countertop. Hackman was found, apparently having had a fall and with no food in his stomach, in a porch a short distance away. Both bodies showed signs of mummification and bloating. One of the couple's three dogs, which was in a crate recovering from surgery, died of starvation and dehydration, while the other two dogs were wandering the property and grounds. Dr Child cast further doubt on the official cause of death of his clinic's prospective client, saying: 'I am not a hantavirus expert but most patients who have that diagnosis die in hospital. It is surprising that Mrs Hackman spoke to my office on the phone on 10 February and again on 12 February and didn't appear in respiratory distress. A Los Angeles-based doctor told the Mail on Sunday: 'Respiratory failure is not sudden – it is something that worsens over several days. Most people get admitted to the ER [emergency room] because they are having trouble breathing. It's exceedingly rare for a seemingly healthy 65-year-old to drop dead of it. In fact, no one's heard of such a thing.' Representatives for the Hackman estate were initially successful in their bid to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports, especially photographs and police body-camera video, related to the couple's deaths.
NBC News
18-03-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Calls to medical clinic show Betsy Arakawa, Gene Hackman's wife, was alive longer than previously believed
Cellphone records indicate Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, was alive a day after her estimated time of death, a New Mexico sheriff's official said Monday. Her phone records indicate Arakawa made three calls to Cloudberry, a private medical clinic, on the morning of Feb. 12, and may have missed a return call in the afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Denise Womack Avila said in response to an NBC News inquiry. New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator estimated that Arakawa died Feb. 11, seven days before Hackman is believed to have died — Feb. 18. The bodies of Arakawa and Hackman were found at their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home by maintenance workers on Feb. 26. One of their three dogs was also discovered dead. Arakawa was 65 when she died. Hackman was 95. Avila said in a statement that the sheriff's office did not previously determine an estimated time of death for Arakawa, but acknowledged it did say her last known activity was Feb. 11. She said the office also noted previously that the investigation into the couple's deaths was ongoing and would consider forthcoming cellphone records once obtained. Cloudberry and its leadership did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. The state Office of the Medical Investigator responded but declined to comment. Arakawa's cause of death, as determined by the medical investigator's office, is rare: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which spreads to humans only by contact with rodents or their urine and droppings, and can lead to shortness of breath, fatigue and, ultimately, death. Hackman's cause of death was hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's disease being a significant contributing factor, the medical investigator's office said earlier this month. On Saturday, the Daily Mail published a story in which Cloudberry's leader, Dr. Josiah Child, said Arakawa had called the clinic on Feb. 12. Arakawa previously made an appointment regarding respiratory issues for that date, but canceled because she wasn't feeling well, Child told the publication. She initially reached out to Cloudberry to get a heart scan for Hackman, Child told the Daily Mail. Cloudberry touts "personalized concierge medicine" on its website. Child is a former emergency room leader who now focuses on one-on-one patient care and managing the aging process, according to his bio graphy. On Monday, a New Mexico district judge temporarily blocked state and local investigators probing Arakawa's and Hackman's deaths from releasing imagery of their bodies, the interior of the home they shared or any dead animals on the property. The ruling by Judge Matthew J. Wilson was in response to a request from a personal representative of the couple's estates. Another hearing on the request is scheduled for March 31.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gene Hackman's wife called doctor before death, changing timeline
The timeline for the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa has been changed after a doctor revealed Arakawa called them after the time of death investigators previously estimated. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office confirmed Arakawa called a concierge doctor service on Feb. 12, a day after officials thought she had originally died from hantavirus, a serious illness transmitted from rodents to humans. She was last seen the day before getting a prescription from a pharmacy and wearing a mask. 'That would indicate to me that she was seeking medical advice or medical help and may have not been feeling well,' Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza said during Monday's episode of 'Good Morning America.' Cloudberry, the concierge service, confirmed the call with ABC News. Arakawa asked about what the service described as an 'esoteric treatment' without elaborating on the nature of treatment she sought. Arakawa did not call back after Cloudberry made several attempts to get back in touch with her. She displayed no signs of difficulty breathing or distress during the initial call. Hackman left his entire estate to Arakawa and nothing to his children. Arakawa left her estate to charity. However, if she died before him, the will would be void and the estate would go to probate court, according to ABC News. Hackman's son Christopher has hired an attorney and plans to contest the will. Officials said the timeline would hopefully be finalized soon. The married couple were found dead in their New Mexico home on Feb. 26 along with one of their dogs. Both were found in advanced forms of decomposition. Hackman is believed to have survived several days after her. An autopsy reported the Oscar-winner died from a combination of severe heart disease, high blood pressure and advanced Alzheimer's disease likely around Feb. 18, the last day his pacemaker recorded activity. The dog, Zinna, who was in a crate recovering from surgery, died from a combination of dehydration and starvation.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Doctor Claims Gene Hackman's Wife Called Him 24 Hours After Police Say She Died
A doctor has revealed Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, didn't die on February 11, as officers claim, because she called his clinic on February 12. Hackman, Arakawa, and one of their three dogs were found dead in their home in New Mexico on February 26, with the initial suspicion being that they died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. However, law enforcement officials from Santa Fe County revealed that Arakawa died of Hantavirus on February 11, while Hackman died seven days later due to hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's being a contributing factor. The circumstances surrounding Arakawa and Hackman's deaths continue to generate confusion, with a doctor now adding another angle to the mystery. On Saturday, Dr. Josiah Child told the Daily Mail that officers were wrong about Arakawa's day of death. He said, "Mrs. Hackman didn't die on February 11 because she called my clinic on February 12." Child, a former emergency care specialist who now runs Cloudberry Health in Santa Fe, explained further, "She'd called me a couple of weeks before her death to ask about getting an echocardiogram [heart scan] for her husband. She was not a patient of mine, but one of my patients recommended Cloudberry to her." He also said, "She made an appointment for herself for February 12. It was for something unrelated to anything respiratory." The doctor said Arakawa canceled her appointment two days before she was to see him because Gene Hackman was unwell. He also revealed, "She called back on the morning of February 12 and spoke to one of our doctors who told her to come in that afternoon." Dr. Child said, "We made her an appointment but she never showed up. She did not show any symptoms of respiratory distress." He added, "The appointment wasn't for anything related to hantavirus. We tried calling her a couple of times with no reply." The doctor's revelations that Arakawa was alive on the day the coroner claimed she died adds another layer of mystery to an already stressful situation. However, Dr. Child is also disputing that hantavirus is the cause of Arakawa's death as she showed no signs of "respiratory distress." He said, "I am not a hantavirus expert but most patients who have that diagnosis die in hospital. It is surprising that Mrs. Hackman spoke to my office on the phone on February 10 and again on February 12 and didn't appear in respiratory distress." Meanwhile, a Los Angeles-based doctor spoke to the outlet on Sunday and cast more doubt on hantavirus being the cause of Arakawa's demise. They said, "Medical professionals are all scratching their heads over hantavirus as the cause of death. Respiratory failure is not sudden – it is something that worsens over several days." The doctor concluded, "Most people get admitted to the ER [emergency room] because they are having trouble breathing. It's exceedingly rare for a seemingly healthy 65-year-old to drop dead of it. In fact, no one's heard of such a thing." On February 11, 2025, Arakawa, 65, reportedly carried out her usual activities, visiting a grocery store, pharmacy, and pet food shop before returning home to Santa Fe. Authorities believe she died that same day from hantavirus, a rare but deadly disease linked to rodent droppings. Following her passing, there was no further communication or activity from her. Hackman, 95, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, was likely unaware of his wife's death. His pacemaker data recorded heart activity on February 17, with an irregular rhythm on February 18, suggesting he passed away that day due to heart disease. Arakawa and Hackman's bodies were found on February 26 when a maintenance worker reported them unresponsive. Authorities ruled both deaths as natural causes—Arakawa from hantavirus and Hackman from heart disease, with Alzheimer's as a contributing factor. Meanwhile, Bruce Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, reflected on the couple's death, stressing the need to support caregivers. She highlighted how Arakawa, Hackman's caregiver, passed away a week before him, reinforcing the challenges caregivers face. Drawing from her own experience caring for Bruce, who has frontotemporal dementia, Emma urged people to recognize caregivers' struggles. She debunked the myth that caregivers "have it all figured out," insisting they also need care. In an Instagram post, she emphasized, "Caregivers need care too. Period. Full stop."
