MF Doom’s cause of death revealed amid “concerns” around rapper’s treatment in hospital

The artist's wife questioned measures taken at a hospital in Leeds following the sudden death of her husband.

Jasmine Dumile, the wife of the late MF DOOM, spoke at an inquest about her concerns over her husband’s treatment at a Leeds hospital prior to his death, and revealed that her late husband passed away from a rare and severe reaction to blood pressure medication.

According to Leeds Live, Jasmine’s lawyers questioned how often the staff at St. James Hospital were checking in on the rapper, born as Daniel Dumile, and why it took them two hours to give him medication for his swollen throat — an effect of a condition called angiodema, which he developed alongside breathing difficulties following a “severe and rare” reaction to only two doses of prescribed ACE inhibitors. The artist had been suffering from several health conditions, including kidney disease, that led to weight gain and anxiety.

She noted that her husband could not immediately alert medical staff about the worsening swelling and breathing difficulties he was experiencing as his “buzzer” was placed too far from him, forcing him to call his wife regarding his situation and leading Jasmine to use another phone to inform the hospital staff. Dumile complained  about his breathing difficulties on October 21st and attempted to remove himself from his hospital trolley, but collapsed and suffered respiratory arrest.

She also noted that her husband was put in a room that looked like it was from “a very long time ago,” which had a bed, an “old metal desk” and books. “I don’t want to say it was an old storage room…it wasn’t set up,” she said, however medics asserted that many rooms in the hospital department were the same.

Jasmine explained that she was unable to visit Dumile at the hospital due to COVID-19 protocols until the end of the month. “I was not able to see him until the 31st [of October] — that’s when the respirator was turned off that was helping him breathe.”

It was further revealed in the inquest that his medical records were in London and could not be accessed from Leeds, and that Dumile’s condition was supposedly getting better. The 49-year-old was eating, drinking water, had good oxygen levels and could talk to the doctors.

Following his death, the trust of St. James Hospital conducted a “serious incident investigation” and concluded with several recommendations that affect the management of patients with angiodema.

WriterChris Saunders
Banner Image CreditInstagram / @nickpickles