EVERGREEN PARK - Formally known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM), broken heart syndrome is a phenomenon that causes the sudden death of a person, typically following the sudden loss of a loved one. Actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Johnny Cash are two celebrities who are believed to have lost their lives due to broken heart syndrome. During the COVID-19 pandemic, broken heart syndrome deaths spiked in large part due to stress caused by sudden deaths of loved ones, financial struggles, job loss, and so on. Most recently, after the horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, broken heart syndrome made headlines once again when Joe Garcia, husband of beloved fourth-grade teacher Irma Garcia, suddenly passed away in the wake of his wife’s tragic death. Despite its notable history, broken heart syndrome is still not fully understood – although it is very real. “We see it after natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, and hurricanes. We see
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