Gourkani, 34, died April 20 from cardiac arrest related to illegal cosmetic injections meant to enlarge her butt, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. It is unclear what was in the injections, as the toxicology report is pending.
The woman who allegedly gave Gourkani the injections, Vivian Gomez, 50, was arrested on April 20 at the Ft. Lauderdale airport and charged with involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license, Wagstaffe tells PEOPLE.
These injections are dangerous, says Dr. Michael K. Obeng, a board-certified plastic surgeon and a member of PEOPLE’s Health Squad.
“And as with any injection, it can go into your bloodstream,” he says. “And if it gets in the bloodstream, it can block the blood vessels and cause necrosis [or dead tissue]. So that’s a huge danger.”
Gourkani’s family shared details about the incident in a GoFundMe post.
“In the early morning hours at approximately 4:31 am on 4/20/2023, our family received a tragic phone call from a family member who was frantically screaming and crying hysterically on the other end of the line…Ashten is dying…Ashten is dying,” her loved ones wrote. “A phone call that instantly shattered our world and will forever haunt our family for the rest of our lives.”
The GoFundMe page, which requests donations for her funeral costs, also shared details about her personality.
“If you knew Ashten you knew that everyone mattered to her. She was such a caring and loving free spirit that always took the time to bring a smile to anyone’s face she crossed paths with,” the statement said. “She was the kind of person that would kneel down and talk to children at eye level, she searched for the lonely person in the corner and made them feel special as she has such a gift of connecting with people.”