Chyna's brain will be donated to science research, according to the former wrestler and Celebrity Rehab participant's manager.
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Dr. Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu, who was the subject of the 2015 film Concussion starring Will Smith, will reportedly conduct the research primarily centered upon the brain injury CTE -- formally known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- which is a progressive degenerative disease that can only be diagnosed after death.
Dr. Omalu was the first to discover and publish findings on CTE. The disease is often found in athletes, typically NFL players, who have experienced numerous concussions or blows to the head in their lifetime. Chyna would fall into this category, as she first became famous when she wrestled for the WWF in 1997. She left the organization, now called the WWE, four years later in 2001.
Anzaldo told the New York Daily News that Chyna's brain is being donated so the world can find out what made her "tick." He also revealed there was interest before Chyna's death for her to join a brain injury lawsuit against the WWE but she declined participation.
Police in Redondo Beach, CA, found Chyna -- whose real name is Joan Marie Laurer -- dead in her apartment last week after a friend discovered she was not breathing.
After wrestling for the WWE, Chyna starred on Season 4 of VH1's The Surreal Life in 2005. She later returned to the network in 2007 for The Surreal Life: Fame Games and then again in 2008 for the very first season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
Chyna was treated for alcohol abuse on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, however, she also reportedly battled drug addiction. Chyna is the sixth former Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew participant to die in the last five years.
The result of Chyna's autopsy has yet to be released although her sudden death was reported to the Los Angeles County coroner's department as a possible overdose.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
