Hana Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali, the beloved boxing icon who died Friday, said in a social media post that after all of her father’s vital organs shut down, his heart continued to beat for about half an hour—“a true testament to the strength of his Spirit and Will!”
According to a family spokesperson, Muhammad Ali died at age 74 of “septic shock,” an aggressive bodily response to infection that leads to organ failure.
Hana Ali, the fourth daughter of the globally renowned athlete, said that everyone was amazed that Ali’s heart continued to beat. His family was at his bedside when he died.
Hana is Muhammad Ali’s seventh child; her mother is his third wife, Veronica Porsche-Ali. She said that her dad was the “love of her life.”
A full sibling to boxer Laila Ali, Hana wrote a book about her father, published in 2000: More Than a Hero: Muhammad Ali’s Life Lessons Presented Through His Daughter’s Eyes.
Brave heart, indeed.