Here's What Happened In Cameron Boyce's Final Hours
Alongside his busy acting career, which included roles in "Jessie," the "Descendants" franchise, and Adam Sandler's "Grown Ups" films, Cameron Boyce was passionate about using his public platform for activism. Boyce was vocal about many causes, most notably working to end gun violence and homelessness. He attributed his desire to make a difference to the way he was raised. "There's a long line of difference makers in my family," he told Haute Living in one of his last interviews. "I'm following in the footsteps of some really strong men and women who have showed me what it means to give back; it's the greatest way to fulfill yourself."
However, the actor and activist tragically died on July 6, 2019, after suffering a seizure in his sleep, ET confirmed. His mother, Libby Boyce, later revealed to ABC News that the 20-year-old had been diagnosed with epilepsy, a seizure disorder, just before he turned 18. He'd had just a handful of seizures during that time and had been seizure-free for over a year, which made his death all the more sudden and unexpected for his family. "And, obviously, if I ever thought that he could die from a seizure I never would have let him out of my sight, which would have been awful for him," Libby added.
Before his sudden death, the actor had been enjoying life like normal and spent quality time with his loved ones. Here's what happened in Cameron Boyce's final hours.
He posted on social media
The night before he died (July 5, 2019), Cameron Boyce posted on social media. He shared a black and white portrait of himself on Instagram. In it he sported a serious facial expression and a sports headband which was tied at the back. However, the Disney Channel star didn't caption the photo, other than to tag the British pop culture media outlet and fashion brand i-D.
Posting updates on his Instagram page was something Boyce did regularly, as he liked to stay connected with his fans and share behind-the-scenes snaps from his acting jobs, as well as use the platform to talk about social issues. However, Inquisitr hailed it as a fitting final photo to have been posted by the actor, since it captured both the serious and playful sides of his personality. The latter shone through in Boyce's role as Carlos, the son of Cruella, in Disney's "Descendants" film franchise. The last live-action installment of the series, "Descendants 3" was released on August 2, 2019, just weeks after Boyce's death.
Cameron Boyce spent the evening with his parents
Cameron Boyce's parents, Victor and Libby Boyce, spent the evening of Friday July 5, 2019, with their son. "The night he passed away we were out to dinner with him, just hours before," Victor Boyce revealed to ABC News. The trio enjoyed some quality family time together, and the cycling enthusiast said that night is his favorite memory with his son. "He came to visit, and I was just so happy to see him and gave him a big hug," Victor explained to the outlet.
The dad continued, "It was just cool that, here's my 20-year-old son, just drove up in his car from his house and he's coming to visit me." Victor Boyce also noted that he had been so excited to see his son living independently as a young adult, and he imagined that this was what their relationship would be like in the future.
While at dinner, they were catching up and talking about Cameron's house that he had just bought. "My house is the epicenter of everything that's cool," Victor recalled his son saying as they experienced earthquake aftershocks at the restaurant. Less than a week after the actor died, his father shared a photo of him from that dinner, which is the last photo he has of his son. It shows the Disney Channel star's goofy side as he pouted in front of the camera. Alongside the picture he posted on Instagram, Victor Boyce expressed his devastation but also thanked everyone for their love and support.
He was texting with his parents, who had no idea anything was wrong
After dinner, actor Cameron Boyce went back to his own new house, but he continued talking with his parents well into the night. "We were texting that night. We were texting about the Lakers," Victor Boyce revealed to ABC News. Their conversation went on for hours, he explained. "We were texting back and forth up until 12:30, and somewhere between the last text he sent me and the morning he was gone."
"It's not cliche to say you never know..." Victor added, highlighting that for himself and his wife Libby, it was just a normal night with their son. The couple couldn't have known that anything was wrong after they had stopped texting with Cameron, naturally assuming he'd gone to sleep. However, he died after having a seizure in his sleep during the early hours of Saturday morning, July 6 (via People).
Cameron Boyce's roommates went to check on him the next morning
During the day on July 6, 2019, Cameron Boyce's roommates decided to go check on him before they left the house for the day, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's report (via E! News). When they entered his room they found him unresponsive, and they immediately dialed 9-1-1 and began CPR. They continued trying to resuscitate him until the emergency services arrived at his North Hollywood home. Sadly, there was nothing they could do, and paramedics declared Boyce dead at 2:35 p.m.
Later that day, his father Victor Boyce publicly confirmed the 20-year-old actor's death, but did not initially reveal that it was because of epilepsy. "He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure, which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated," the statement read (via People). "The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him."
He had been receiving treatment for epilepsy
The official confirmation of Cameron Boyce's death noted that the actor was being treated for a seizure disorder (later revealed to be epilepsy). His autopsy report confirmed that the medication he'd been taking, which was called Levetiracetam, was in his system when he died (via E! News). After his death, his parents Victor and Libby Boyce went into more detail about the treatment Cameron had been receiving. It included more than just medication, they revealed to ABC News. "We also had this thing where they wired his head up and had this contraption on to try and capture brain activity. Nothing ever showed," Victor Boyce said.
He continued, explaining that his son received several different types of treatment to determine the cause of his seizures. "They tried to induce him to seize with strobe and different methods, never seized," he added. The dad of two added that his son had seizures only while he was asleep, and Cameron did not remember the seizures afterward. The actor had a total of five seizures, his mother revealed, and he would often bite his lip or his tongue while seizing.
Cameron Boyce's legacy will live on
Throughout his life, Cameron Boyce committed to a platform of activism wherever he could. When he accepted the Thirst Project's Pioneering Spirit award, the actor addressed the audience with words of encouragement and action. "What you leave should be bigger than you," he said. "... We need to use what we have and make the world a better place for other people," the actor emphasized. This attitude is something that his parents, family, friends, and co-stars really admired about him, and through them, Cameron Boyce's legacy as an activist will live on. After he died, his parents set up a charity — The Cameron Boyce Foundation — in his honor. "The Cameron Boyce Foundation will do a lot of things for epilepsy, for ending gun violence, for the water crisis, those are the areas he was really really focused on," his mom Libby Boyce later explained to ABC News.
Cameron Boyce's friends and co-stars, including Dove Cameron and Debby Ryan, have been huge supporters of the organization in the years since his death. Ryan starred alongside Boyce in the popular Disney Channel series "Jessie" from 2011 to 2015, playing his family's nanny. To honor the actor, she designed a clothing collection to benefit his foundation. "Cool things for you to wear forever," Ryan wrote on Instagram. The proceeds from Ryan's clothing line went to the causes that Cameron was most passionate about, and this is just one of the ways his legacy continues to live on.