What was the wonderful Muppets creator Jim Henson’s cause of death?

Without Jim Henson, countless kids would have to live without the pure happiness of watching the hilarious Miss Piggy and the super likable Kermit the Frog interact, and Sesame Street wouldn’t exist. The world mourned Henson’s passing thanks to the meaningful characters he created, as well as his compassionate personality.

Whether children watch Sesame Street on YouTube or on TV, or adults watch The Happytime Murders, people of all ages are huge fans of Henson’s endearing Muppets. Henson’s death was a massive loss for his fans and his loved ones, and people will always remember his life and work.

How did Jim Henson pass away?

According to People, Henson passed away after contracting toxic shock syndrome. Hearing about what happened before his death is upsetting, especially when fans remember how kind he was. When Henson was interviewed on the The Arsenio Hall Show in May 1990, he didn’t feel well. It turned out that he had been infected with bacteria, which made it hard for him to keep traveling and working, although he did his best to keep going. He died after spending time at New York Presbyterian Hospital when a bacteria called streptococcus pyogenes caused toxic shock syndrome.

As Entertainment Weekly reported in 1990, Henson’s lungs were affected by the bacteria, and it doesn’t sound like there was any way to save him. He was only 53 years old. Henson talked about feeling exhausted and also said he had come down with a cold, but things were much worse than that. This is a sobering reminder that people can get very sick, very fast, and that sometimes, tragically, there’s no coming back from it.

I remember being terrified of toxic shock syndrome as a kid growing up in the ’90s, and as the Cleveland Clinic explained, this can definitely happen when using tampons. But it’s also possible for someone to get this disease when one of their body parts gets infected. The Cleveland Clinic noted that if someone can get help, it’s possible to survive it. Sadly, that didn’t happen here.

Since Henson brought joy to so many kids (and adults), it’s terrible to imagine what it was like for him at the end. Fans will always have Kermit, Miss Piggy, and all the other heartwarming characters that Henson shared with the world.