While bodybuilder turned Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s life may look perfect in hindsight, it was not always very sunny. The former athlete was born with a genetic defect in his heart, the same condition that killed his mother, Aurelia, in 1998. Arnie revealed in his autobiography, Total Recall: My Unbelievable True Life, how his mother rejected getting treatment for the health issue.

He had known about the condition since the 1970s and yet could not convince his mother to consider getting help. She entrusted her fate to God and lived as long as she could with her condition, ultimately succumbing to it years later.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ordeal with his family’s heart condition

According to the book, the 75-year-old disclosed that for years he knew about his hereditary defect and was aware that it needed to be treated at some point. This realization came after one of his mother’s visits around the 1970s. She had to be rushed to the hospital due to sudden dizziness and nausea.

At this moment, the doctor revealed that Arnie’s mother had a “heart murmur” due to a faulty aortic valve in the heart. While such defects are detected in the middle ages itself, Aurelia found out in her fifties. Eventually, the doctor checked the actor and found out he “shared the defect.” Although Arnie did not need immediate treatment, his mother’s condition was concerning. Later on, when it was time for her surgery, she incessantly refused and believed that God would decide her fate.

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The True Lies actor argued that she hadn’t felt the same for other health problems and could not understand why she was speaking of God suddenly. Explaining herself, she claimed, as stated in the book, “God is the one who made the science possible. God trained the doctors. It’s all in God’s hands. You can extend your life.” Thereon, it was only after so many no’s that Arnie eventually gave up persuading, and his mother passed away in 1998. The heartwrenching instance was once again highlighted in Arnie’s documentary.

Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about his mother’s heart problem

The recently released Netflix docuseries, Arnold, gave the audience a deeper perspective into the star athlete’s achievement-laden life. He confirmed that he and his mother shared a common heart problem: a defect in the aortic valve leading out of the heart. He addressed that his mother “refused the surgery” in the docuseries. 

Whereas, the star athlete had to undergo multiple surgeries to treat his condition, the earliest one being in 1997. Shockingly, his mother passed away the next year, in 1998, while she was visiting her late husband, Gustav, at the grave. She fell unconscious at the cemetery and was pronounced dead later on.

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Arnie’s sad affair with his mother’s passing is truly heartbreaking. However, the athlete has seemed to move past the tragic memories and remembers his mother as an inspiring and hard-working person.