What is Maroteax Lamy syndrome? Tributes pour in as Keenan Cahill dies aged 27

YouTuber Keenan Cahill has died at the age of 27. The beloved content creator died from heart surgery complications from his recent procedure. Netizens have since taken to the internet to pay tribute to the lip-sync legend.

WGN media confirmed the news of his passing as they received information from a spokesperson from his family. It was revealed that the YouTuber died on December 29, 2022.

The family did not confirm the reason behind his passing, but Keenan Cahill’s manager David Graham, told TMZ that he underwent heart surgery on December 15, 2022. However, following that, went on to battle complications from the procedure. He was also put on life support, and reportedly died in a Chicago hospital on Thursday afternoon after being taken off of life support.

Prior to his passing, the YouTuber revealed on December 12 in his last Instagram post that he was going to undergo open-heart surgery. A few days earlier, he announced on the social media platform:

Sources claim that the influencer suffered from Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome, where patients often suffer from skeletal abnormalities.

Everything to know about Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome that Keenan Cahill suffered from

According to MedlinePlus, Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome is also called Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI or MPS VI. It is a progressive condition that:

Those who suffer from the same, often have skeletal abnormalities including a large head, short stature, joint deformities that can affect mobility. The patients can also sustain carpal tunnel syndrome and a narrow spinal canal. One can also experience significant vision and hearing loss, and have a soft-pouch around the belly. The syndrome does not affect intelligence.

Cardiac problems are normal in those who suffer from Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome. Respiratory problems can include the airway becoming narrow, which can lead to sleep apnea and respiratory infections.

The life expectancy of those who suffer from the syndrome depends on the severity of the situation. If one does not get the required treatments they may survive only until adolescence or late childhood.

Those with milder symptoms can live longer and into adulthood. However, their lifespan is lower as the respiratory illnesses that come with the syndrome play a massive role in their death.

Tributes pour in as Keenan Cahill passes away

Fans of the YouTuber were shocked to hear about his passing. Many took to social media to pay tribute to the internet sensation. A few tributary messages read:

Keenan Cahill has amassed 723k subscribers on his official YouTube channel. During his rise to stardom, he collaborated with celebrity legends like Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, 50 Cent and Jennifer Anniston, among others. Netizens loved his lip-sync videos. Speaking about his passion, he said in a May 2011 interview:

In recent years, Keenan Cahill had turned his attention towards DJing. He posted his final song on YouTube just three weeks ago.

About the author

Karishma is a trending writer at SK POP. With a BA in Journalism, Psychology and Literature, Karishma, who has closely followed the latest internet trends from a young age, found her role at SK POP to be the perfect fit for her professional qualifications and personal interests.

She has nearly 3 years of experience in the industry and has interned with The Hindu and Deccan Herald. In her role at Sportskeeda, Karishma covers a range of topics at the pop division, but she believes her skills as a journalist are best reflected while creating impactful and research-intensive stories. For her, no other step in the writing process is as crucial as fact-checking with multiple sources and accurately conveying facts and data.

Karishma holds deep admiration for artists Luke Jerram and Yoshitomo Nara's authenticity and originality, who are her favorite icons. When not ideating her next story, Karishma can be seen deeply engrossed in a book.

Know More