Brayden Smith, the five-time 24 year old Danger! The winner, whose death was announced by his family last week, had undergone surgery for an undisclosed condition days before his death on February 5, reports a local CBS station in his hometown, Las Vegas.
The KLAS news station cites Smith family sources in its report on Brayden Smith’s recent surgery. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Danger! The contestant nicknamed “Billy Buzzsaw” by host Alex Trebek spent several days in a southern Nevada hospital before his death. No means of communication specified the nature of Smith’s illness or surgery.
Smith is considered to be Trebek’s “last big champion” on social media – the young man recorded his episodes last October, before Trebek’s death on November 8. The episodes, with Smith winning over $ 115,000, aired in December. The following month, Smith appeared in a Danger! video tribute to Trebek, saying that spending time with the iconic game show host was his favorite part of Danger! experience.
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Smith’s mother, Debbie Smith, announced the death of her son last Friday. Later, she expressed gratitude for the many condolences received.
“The display of love for Brayden is overwhelming,” she tweeted. “We cannot express how much your beautiful comments are comforting us during this painfully sad period. Thanks.”
The display of love for Brayden is overwhelming. We cannot express how much your beautiful comments are comforting us during this painfully sad period. Thanks. ❤️
– Debbie Smith (@debbieinlv) February 13, 2021