Cameron Boyce‘s family opened up about the Disney Channel star’s medical history following his tragic death at his home on July 6. The 20-year-old actor suffered from an unspecified form of epilepsy, his family confirmed in a statement to E! News. “Cameron’s tragic passing was due to a seizure as a result of an ongoing medical condition, and that condition was epilepsy,” a family spokesperson said in a statement. “We are still trying to navigate our way through this extremely heart wrenching time, and continue to ask for privacy so that the family, and all who knew and loved him can grieve his loss and make arrangements for his funeral — which in and of itself, is agonizing.”
Epilepsy is a neurological disease marked by repeated seizures, which occur when nerve cells in the brain fire electrical impulses up to four times higher than normal, resulting in convulsions, hallucinations, tremors, tics, migraines, and more. There are innumerable types of seizures and epilepsies; while Cameron’s family did not specify which form of epilepsy he suffered from, the LA coroner’s office confirmed to HollywoodLife that an autopsy is being performed and an official cause of death will be confirmed.
The tributes have poured in from fans, costars, and celebrities following Cameron’s shocking death. Dove Cameron, who starred alongside Cameron in the Disney Channel Descendants movies, filmed a heartbreaking series of videos about her “dear, dear friend and brother,” praising him for his beautiful spirit. Dove called him an “Earth angel” who “got me through eating disorders, helped me through a dark relationship and through endless breakdowns.”
She said goodbye to Cameron, and added, “I’ll never have enough words for the pain I feel.” Karan Brar played Cameron’s brother on Disney Channel’s Jessie from 2011 to 2015, and was his roommate IRL, wrote on Instagram, “You were the greatest thing to have ever happened to me. i love you so much cam. wish i had more to say right now but i don’t think words will come for a while.”