Ky. Congresswoman's Son Found Dead

[DoYouEverWonder]

July 12, 2006

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The 30-year-old son of U.S. Rep. Anne Northup was found dead in his apartment Wednesday, apparently of natural causes.

Joshua Northup's body was found by his father after he failed to report to work the past two days and co-workers expressed concern, said Sherri Craig, the congresswoman's district director.

The congresswoman was in Washington, D.C., when told of her son's death.

"We are grieving his loss and have a hole in our hearts that will never go away," Anne and Robert "Woody" Northup said in a statement about the son they adopted when he was 2 months old.

Joshua Northup, a graduate of Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., had worked at Humana Inc. for nearly four years and was unmarried.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-brf-congresswomans-son,0,6034406.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

[KingFlorez]

1. Sad

[JI7]

2. that's very sad

what type of natural causes can result in sudden deaths of people at 30 ?

[Kutjara]

4. There are a number of things:

Congenital heart defect, stroke, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Syndrome, severe sleep apnea. I'm sure there are many more. The human body is pretty complex and a lot can go wrong with it.

[Lost-in-FL]

5. Unknown aortic aneurysm

caused by Marfan's Syndrome (condition very difficult to diagnose)? Unknown heart condition? Stroke (he was very young but having a stroke at that age is not impossible; rare but not imposible), etc, etc.

[Roland99]

11. Might have been that. News reported here last night he had a heart cond.

[AlCzervik]

9. my friend Kathy died in her living room at age 27, she just fell to the

floor, the coroner said she was gone before she was on the floor turned out she had a "genetically blocked artery".

[Ian David]

15. I knew a guy who dropped-dead on the golf course at the age of 19. n/t

[skylarmae]

3. Supposidly this is the worst news a parent can get.

It happened in our family (to my aunt and uncle, their only child) and my aunt was never the same, consequently, nothing was ever the same. So, so sad...

[Whoa_Nelly]

8. We, as parents, pretty much expect our children to survive us

If my son, or grandchildren, died before me, am sure it would alter my life and shake my world most completely and thoroughly.

[SharonAnn]

12. Yes, we lost a son at 41 to a sudden heart attack. Complete shock!

I still can't believe it and it's been 4 years.

Unmarried and living alone, we wouldn't have known for days except that he had his daughter and her friend (11 years old) over for the weekend and they couldn't awaken him Sunday morning.

As hard as it was on us, it was worse on her and her friend. We were 300 miles away so it was complicated getting someone there for them and all the other arrangements. Thank goodness for cell phones because we took the phone books with us and were on the phone during nearly the entire drive there.

I'm so, so sorry for his family.

[Pirate Smile]

6. That's terrible.

:(

[Ilsa]

7. My sister-in-law nearly died twice, from two separate brain

aneurysms, by age 31. He first one was when she was 22. Pretty much ruined her life since she didn't have insurance and extra occupational and speech therapy and psychological therapy.

[BlueIris]

10. That is terrible.

Poor Congresswoman and Mr. Northrup.

[wicket]

13. Very very sad

:cry:

Here is the GD thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1617802

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bake]

16. No sympathy for Northup. None whatsoever.

I am sorry that her son passed away. I have sympathy for the rest of his family and friends. But not one iota of sympathy for Northup. I lived in Jefferson County for a number of years, including when she first took office. She is Puke to the core. I have no sympathy for her or anyone like her. I hope, but am not seriously expecting, that this tragedy will teach her a badly needed lesson about the value of human life. But I'm not holding my breath. She is a pig.

Bake

[Ken Burch]

17. There was really no reason to post that.

The death of one's child is an event beyond politics.

You should be ashamed of yourself. You should also send a letter of apology to the congresswoman.

Democrats are supposed to be above that kind of thinking.

[pitohui]

18. oh come on!

what is the internet if a person can't post their honest gut feelings?

democrats are human beings too

[Ken Burch]

19. Gut feelings on politics, yes. But not cheap shots on people in mourning

Grief must be respected.

And the kind of rhetoric in that post is the kind of talk the Freepers use on us.

Sorry, that's how I see it and I'm not backing down.

[New Government]

20. By your reasoning

What you are saying is pathetic. By your reasoning, when we hear of something awful, a tragedy (such as this one) happening to the family of a politico, you believe we should all rush to the Internet and check their ADA, ACU voting records and THEN decide if it is a "real" tragedy or not. What in the hell has the division in this country done to us?