American actor Samuel Monroe Jr. has died at the age of 52 after spending four months battling severe health complications.
Monroe died on Thursday, August 27, at a hospital in Los Angeles, with his mother, Joyce Patton, confirming the heartbreaking news in a Facebook post.
Patton thanked family members, friends and supporters who had prayed for her son throughout his illness before revealing that he had passed away.
“I want to thank all of my Facebook family and friends new and old for praying for Samuel Monroe Jr., my son. But today God called him home. Please honor my final request to pray for the family especially his 3 children,” she wrote.
Monroe was hospitalised in April after developing meningitis, MRSA pneumonia and other serious complications that eventually required dialysis.
His family previously disclosed that the meningitis had reportedly gone untreated for about eight months after he contracted it while filming in Las Vegas. According to the family, several hospitals initially misdiagnosed his condition.
By the time doctors correctly identified the illness, it had reportedly spread to his brain and spine. Monroe later suffered multiple seizures, while doctors warned his loved ones that he could remain in a vegetative state permanently.
Despite the grim prognosis, his wife, Shawna Stewart, his mother and his three children continued to hope and fight for his recovery.
Monroe established himself as an actor during the 1990s, appearing in several notable films, including Menace II Society, Tales from the Hood, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, Set It Off and The Players Club.
He is survived by his wife, mother and three children.
