Olympic gold medalist Tori Bowie died during childbirth alone at home

Tori Bowie, a three-time Olympic medalist and world champion runner, died from complications related to childbirth while alone at home last month, an autopsy found.

The report obtained from the medical examiner’s office in Orange County, Florida, says Bowie had a “well-developed fetus” and was estimated to have been eight months pregnant. Evidence showed she was undergoing labor (crowning) at the time of her death. The report also concluded that the cause of death was respiratory distress and eclampsia—a deeply troubling outcome that contributes to the Black maternal mortality crisis in the United States.

Bowie was found at her Florida home after sheriff’s deputies were asked to conduct a well-being check on a woman in her 30s who had not been seen or heard from in several days, authorities said last month. The woman found dead at the home was identified as Frentorish “Tori” Bowie.

Black mothers are three times more likely to experience pregnancy-related death than white women in the United States. Black women are also more likely to experience preventable maternal death compared to white women, especially in the South.

Eclampsia is the onset of seizures or a coma related to preeclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder that can occur during pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“Eclampsia can happen without any previously observed signs or symptoms of preeclampsia,” the Mayo Clinic says on its website.

Signs and symptoms that may appear before seizures include severe headaches, vision problems, mental confusion or altered behaviors. But, there are often no symptoms or warning signs. It can also occur before, during, or after delivery.

The Preeclampsia Foundation states that preeclampsia rate is 60 percent higher in Black women than in white women,1 and Black women are more likely to develop severe preeclampsia. The condition is rapidly progressive and can lead to multiple adverse outcomes: seizure, stroke, heart disease, infant growth restriction, preterm birth, and maternal and infant death. Preeclampsia is typically diagnosed by high blood pressure, elevated protein levels and other factors. Early recognition of this condition can be life-saving.

Per NBC News, two weeks before she died, Tori Bowie shared her excitement with longtime agent Kimberly Holland how thrilled she was to become a mom. 

“I think that that would have been one of the most luckiest babies ever,” Holland said.