Stevens Johnson Syndrome – Manute Bol Dead

Manute Bol, the former 7-foot-7 pro basketball center who spent ten years in the NBA, died Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia. Bol became ill in May after contracting Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a rare skin disease, while in Sudan. He was 47.

Tom Prichard, executive director of the group Sudan Sunrise, said the skin around Bol’s mouth was so sore he went 11 days without eating and could barely talk. Bol was in Sudan to help build a school in conjunction with Sudan Sunrise but stayed longer than anticipated after the president of southern Sudan asked him to make election appearances and use his influence to counter corruption in the county.