1 hour ago
Cristina Sanz, who appeared successful each 4 seasons of A&E’s Emmy-winning 2015-2019 reality bid Born This Way that chronicled nan lives of adults surviving pinch Down syndrome, died Monday, July 6, aft suffering cardiac apprehension successful Long Beach, California. She was 36.
Her decease was announced by parents Mariano and Beatriz Sanz connected Instagram.
“It is pinch a dense bosom that we stock nan news that our daughter, Cristina, passed distant Monday morning,” they wrote. “She suffered a abrupt cardiac apprehension while astatine her Day Program and was rushed to nan hospital. Despite nan doctors’ champion efforts to stabilize her heart, she did not survive.”
Born This Way, produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, debuted connected A&E successful 2015 and quickly won complete critics and audiences pinch its honorable and empathetic portrayals of nan challenges and achievements of 7 adults pinch Down syndrome. Sanz and castmate Angel Callahan became instrumentality favorites arsenic nan show chronicled their romanticist narration that culminated successful a 2018 wedding. (The mates reportedly separated sometime aft nan Covid pandemic shutdown.)
The groundbreaking bid won 3 Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program (2016); Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program (2017); and Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program (2017).
In a connection to nan press, A&E said, “We are profoundly saddened to perceive of nan passing of Cristina Sanz, who touched nan hearts of galore done her clip connected Born This Way. We widen our heartfelt sympathies to her family and each who had nan privilege of knowing and moving pinch her.”
In her Born This Way formed bio, Sanz was described arsenic “a romantic.”
“Her astir five-year narration pinch her boyfriend, Angel, is somewhat of a marvel among nan cast,” nan bio stated. “Her close-knit family hails from Spain, and Cristina enjoys learning nan connection and cooking accepted Spanish meals. She afloat plays nan portion of nan large sister to her 2 younger brothers, ever teasing them astir making love and work.
“Cristina,” it continued, “always impresses her parents pinch her maturity and compassion and is nan first to thief personification successful need. She hopes to proceed to return her narration to nan adjacent level and person an independent life pinch Angel.”
In their announcement of her death, Sanz’s parents expressed gratitude that that were “able to beryllium by her broadside astatine nan end.”
“Her decease was a full daze and unexpected,” they wrote. “We will everlastingly wealth nan gift of her life. We will each transportation successful our hearts nan awesome ‘Cristina moments’ that she gave us.”
Complete accusation connected survivors was not instantly available.
