sepsis

Kyle Busch‘s family has dealt with a lot since the NASCAR legend’s sudden death at age 41 last month.

On Friday, however, his wife Samantha and their two children — son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, 4 — “wanted to take a moment to say thank you” for all the support they have received.

“The prayers, messages, flowers, meals, hugs, and countless acts of kindness have carried us through the most heartbreaking days of our lives,” they said in a note posted Friday on Samantha’s Instagram page. “While our hearts are absolutely shattered, we have felt God’s presence and arms wrapped tightly around us through each and every one of you.”

Busch, a two-time champion of the NASCAR Cup Series and the winningest driver in the association’s history, became unresponsive while in a racing simulator on May 20 in Concord, N.C., and was transported to a Charlotte hospital. He died the next day.

According to his death certificate, Busch died from hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation after complications from bacterial pneumonia led to sepsis. He had been experiencing symptoms of bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks” before sepsis set in, the certificate states.

The Busch family released a joint statement with NASCAR and his team, Richard Childress Racing, honoring Busch on the day he died. Friday’s social media post marks the first public comment directly from Samantha and her children since then.

“The love that has surrounded our family during this unimaginable time has brought comfort in the middle of so much pain,” they said in the post.

“Knowing the impact Kyle had on others and seeing how they are honoring him through each unique act of generosity is a true testament to how special Kyle is to so many people. There are moments when the weight of this loss feels impossible to carry, yet time and time again God, through you all, has shown us we are not alone.”

Kyle and Samantha Busch were married on Dec. 31, 2010. She and their children were among those who appeared at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24 to honor Busch’s memory.

“From family and friends to fans and complete strangers, thank you for showing up for us. Thank you for loving our family so well,” their post concluded. “Thank you for loving Kyle. Thank you for honoring him. We may never find the words to fully express what your support has meant to us, but please know that we are deeply grateful.

“❤️ Samantha, Brexton & Lennix”

CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications, according to a statement released by his family.

Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.

Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens such as bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.

Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race.

However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.

Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”

The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.

NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn’t feeling well recently.

“Yes, but I won’t go into any specifics,” Keselowski said. “But then when he ran the Truck race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.”

Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver’s health — but most don’t want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.

“There’s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else’s seat if we weren’t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,” Keselowski said. “All athletes do. It’s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We’re all thinking to ourselves, ‘I don’t wanna be replaced.’ … So you try to power through it the best you can.”

Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series over his two-decade career, more than any driver in history.

All 39 drivers in the field for Sunday’s race will race with a black No. 8 decal on their car to honor Busch.

Reed writes for the Associated Press.