Jamie Sangouthai, the friend of former NBA basketball star Lamar Odom who passed away Sunday, died from a flesh-eating disease associated with his drug use, the Los Angeles County
medical examiner's office told HollywoodLife.com Wednesday.
Sangouthai, 37, appeared on the reality television shows "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and "Khloe & Lamar" because of his connection with Odom, who was married to Khloe Kardashian.
"There are two causes . . . Necrotizing Fasciitis — a skin disease and flesh-eating disease — and Chronic Intravenous Narcotism . . . associated with dirty needles, injections, and drug use," Lt. Fred Corral, from the county's medical examiner's office, told HollywoodLife.com.
"He went to hospital complaining about swelling and pain in his left arm after using intravenous drugs several times a day for several years," Los Angeles County Coroner spokesperson Craig Harvey said in a statement Wednesday.
TMZ reported that the diseases that inflicted Sangouthai are associated with the use of dirty drug needles.
"The coroner says Sangouthai went to the hospital for the infected arm, but the disease spreads quickly and often becomes life-threatening," the celebrity gossip site reported.
A source told Us Weekly that Odom, who last played in the NBA during the 2012-13 season for the Los Angeles Clippers, is devastated by the loss of his friend.
"Lamar is beside himself," the source said. "This is the worst tragedy. He feels like it could have happened to him. This is a huge wake-up call for him. It has really shaken him."
Odom, who himself has been accused of using drugs, was signed to play for his former coach Phil Jackson with the New York Knicks last year but was mysteriously cut before ever playing a game for the team. Jackson, the Knicks president of basketball operations, told Ken Berger of CBS Sports that he doubted Odom's commitment.
Kardashian filed for divorce from Odom in December 2013 but the player initially did not respond, reported TMZ.
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