Kanye West's Mother Fondly Remembered, "All Of Us Were Her Children"

In the wake of the tragic death of Kanye West's mother and manager, Dr. Donda West, one of her former students and colleagues is remembering her life and legacy.

As previously reported, West, 58, passed away on Saturday (November 10) as a result of complications from a cosmetic surgery procedure.

As news about the sudden death hit home, those who worked with West are remembering her warm spirit and resilience in retrospect.

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Posted 11/13/07 by ozzie in Urban News

"Dr. West was first and foremost a parent, that was the most important responsibility she had." Quraysh Ali Lansana told SOHH exclusively. Lansana is an associate professor of English and Creative Writing at Chicago State University (CSU), where West taught for 30 years. He was a student of West as an undergraduate at CSU and later became a colleague when he joined the faculty in 2002.

"All of us [students] were her children," he said. "She was very nurturing, kind, down to Earth and real, both as an educator and as a colleague. She was just extremely good people."

Just last month Lansana brought Dr. West back to CSU to honor her with the Circle Of Friends Award for her work in education.

He remembers the former Chair of the English department as a strong willed professor who challenged her students but was always available if any one of them needed her.

"She was just the type of person that would give you a really warm smile or either a swift kick in the butt if that's what you needed too," he says jokingly. "She was genuine."

Though Lansana says that he has not spoken with Kanye or any other family members since Dr. West's passing, he did offer a few words of encouragement for the Chicago MC.

"Know that your mom nurtured you with such love and rooted you and grounded you in what's important in this life," he said. "We're here for you."

In related news, further details have been released in Dr. West's death. According to TMZ, just weeks before she had the surgery performed, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Dr. Andre Aboolian, refused to operate on her because of a health condition he believed could have led to a heart attack.

Aboolian says he was to perform a tummy tuck and breast reduction on Ms. West, but told her that she needed to get clearance from an internist whom Dr. Aboolian recommended. Reportedly, West never saw that physician, and subsequently had the procedures performed by another doctor.

The website also is reporting that West was at her home when the 911 call was made. At 7:35 p.m. Saturday night (November 10), paramedics responded to a 911 call and transported West to nearby CentinelaFreemanHospital in Marinadel Rey, California. We're told it was a "sick person call." West was reportedly unresponsive and was not able to be resuscitated.
Sohh

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