What Was Jessica Van Dyke Cause Of Death? About Christian Van Dyke’s daughter

Jessica Van Dyke was the late granddaughter of an American actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke (aka Richard Wayne Van Dyke). Her grandfather is an award-winning entertainer who rose to fame due to his performances in the musical Bye-Bye Birdie (1960). Further, Jessica is the daughter of Dick’s eldest son Christian Van Dyke.

Sadly, Jessica is no longer alive in the living world. She passed away just at the age of 13 in 1987. Well, what was the cause behind her death? Today, in this article we will talk about how Jessica Van Dyke died at a young age. In addition, we will also discuss her early life, her parents, and her family background.

So, stick with us to know in detail.

Jessica Van Dyke Was The Only Child Of Her Parents

Jessica was born Jessica Lee Van Dyke on January 1, 1974, in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA.  At the time of her birth, she weighed  6 lbs. 15 ounces. After three days on 4th January, Dallas Morning News announced her birth to the public.

Likewise, Dyke was the only child of her father Christian, and her mother Caroline Anne Young. She spent her early childhood in her big Dyke family but later when her parents separated, she was taken by her mom.

Jessica’s Parents Separated When She Was Still A Child

Her parents Christian and Caroline tied the knot on 22 August 1970. And after four years, they experienced parenthood by giving birth to Jessica. The couple had a small happy family initially but as time passed, the spark in their relationship started fading and eventually, the couple got divorced when their daughter was still very young. The exact date of their separation is not known, however, after they parted ways, her mom remarried her second husband Roger D Heller.

Following her mom’s second marriage, Dyke lived with her mom, and her stepdad Heller till her death in 1987. She had two younger half-siblings, Jonathan and Cassidy Heller.

After a year of her death, her dad Christian again started his family. He got married to his second wife Christine S Shihadeh on 12 August 1988 as per IMDb.

Jessica Van Dyke Died In Teenage; What Was The Cause Behind Her Death?

Jessica Van Dyke died of the rare disease named Reye’s syndrome. In fact, the star kid died in the same year her mother Caroline died in 1987. Initially, she just had a slight fever with chicken pox. With no awareness, she herself tried to treat her by taking four tablets of acetylsalicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin.

Three days later, she started vomiting and her parents took her to Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital and she was identified with Reye’s syndrome. In regard to this rare disease, her step-dad Heller said,

“We never knew about Reye’s syndrome.” “We had no conception that Reye’s was a disease that could affect a 13-year-old,”

Four days after she was admitted to the hospital, Jessica died on 6 April 1987 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA. She was 13 years old at the time of her death.

Her Grave

After her death, her body was buried in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County.

Her aftermath ritual was done on 9 April in Miller-Deutsch Memorial Chapel.

Dyke’s Father Is A Former Actor; What Else Did He Do For His Career?

Her dad Christian Van Dyke was an actor. In fact, including him, his other three siblings Barry Van Dyke, Carrie Beth Van Dyke, and Stacy Van Dyke also tried their luck in movies. Among her dad’s siblings, Barry Van Dyke could make the most successful career in Hollywood while Christian made very less TV appearances.

Talking about Jessica’s dad’s Hollywood stint, in 1962, he played the role of Frankie in one episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. After that, he appeared in Hollywood goes to a World Premiere, and with this, he eventually decided to quit Hollywood and switched his career to the law field. He became an attorney. Alongside being an advocate, the former actor also worked for Nike USA as the marketing director.

Jessica’s Educational Details; She Was A Bright Student

The celebrity grandchild was studying at Wiley Middle School in University Height in a suburb of Cleveland. At the time of her death, she was in eight-grade. As per the Los Angeles Times published news, she was an incredibly bright student.

Besides her academics, she was equally talented in extra-curricular activities. Jessica had a great interest in creative writing. In 1986, Cricket Magazine sponsored the national essay-writing contest in which she won the third prize. Further, the late Dyke also used to enjoy photography and choir. She used to play hockey at her school as well.

Jessica Was Set To Make Her Debut In A Play Before Her Death

The week before her death, the celebrity granddaughter was set to perform a principal role in the school production musical “Bye Bye Birdie.” This was the same 1960s play that granted fame to her famous grandpa Dick Van Dyke as a stage and screen star.

In the meantime, Dyke suddenly caught a slight fever that led to the end of her life just at the age of 13.

Short Look At Her Family Background

As said earlier, her grandfather is Dick Van Dyke, a famous entertainer. Likewise, she is the grandniece of American actor and comedian Jerry Van Dyke. Like her father and grandfather, her cousins Shane Van Dyke, Carey Van Dyke, Wes Van Dyke, and Taryn Van Dyke also stepped into the acting world.

From her mother’s side, the late Dyke is the great-granddaughter of former Sen, Stephen M. Young, D-Ohio.

Source: Celebsuburb.com