What happened to Kanye West’s mom? How did Donda West die?

Netflix’s “Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy” is a documentary series that takes a deep dive into the rapper, record producer, and fashion designer’s illustrious career from, literally, his early days. In other words, he goes through everything from his struggle to his car accident in 2002 and his breakthrough to his life in the spotlight so that the world can understand who he really is. However, since one of the most important features of the entire production, aside from Kanye himself, was his mother, Donda West, let’s find out everything there is to know about her, shall we?

Who was Donda West?

Born on July 12, 1949, Donda C. West (née Williams) was an incredible woman who had sacrificed a lot over the years to ensure her only child was happy no matter what. She had given birth to Kanye in Atlanta, Georgia in her late 20s, but once her marriage to her father ended when he was just 3, she moved to Chicago, Illinois. ‘Illinois, for good. Like any parent, she aimed to give him the best possible opportunities with this move while developing her own career as an English teacher, which she honestly was able to accomplish.

Not only did the loving mother manage to nurture her son by encouraging and pushing him to pursue his dreams, but Donda also taught at Chicago State University for over 31 years. In fact, she gradually rose through the ranks to become the head of the school’s English, Communications, Media and Drama department – a position she held for 24 years before retiring in 2004. That’s when she emigrated to California to be closer to Kanye and took on the role of a full-time ‘momager’, helping him focus on his music on his own by standing right next to him against winds and tides.

Donda would no doubt have supported her son from near or far, but she apparently wanted to be nearby to maintain their bond and offer him sage advice whenever needed. It should even be mentioned that in addition to being the co-founder of the defunct Kanye West Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to fight illiteracy while focusing on music, she was also the CEO of the company that handled Kanye’s business. As if that weren’t enough, Donda then went on to become an author, publishing “Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar.”

What happened to Donda West? How she died?

On November 10, 2007, at the age of 58, Donda West died of complications after undergoing cosmetic surgery (liposuction, tummy tuck, and breast reduction) the day before. She had supposedly chosen to recover at home after the procedure, but it proved fatal as she died of “coronary heart disease and multiple postoperative factors” without proper help. According to official reports, Donda had “felt a sore throat, pain and chest tightness, before collapsing in the early evening” of that fateful day, never to be well again.

Following the passing of his mother, Kanye not only dedicated his performance of Journey’s “Hey Mama” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” to his mother on all dates of his subsequent tour, but he also renamed his organization to nonprofit Dr. Donda West. Foundation. Plus, it’s obvious that Donda is still a huge part of his life as he’s gone so far as to name his 10th studio album after him, with its sequel ‘Donda 2’ due out in late February 2022. Kanye seems honestly determined to not to let his name or his legacy fade from memory because he wants to honor it in any way possible.

Read more: Where is Kanye West’s dad now?