Cal State Fullerton Dance Team member Destiny Morris, 19, died Nov. 14 due to two undetected congenital heart conditions — mitral valve prolapse and myocardial bridging. Morris’ toxicology report was clean, indicating no use of substances. 

Following the student’s unexpected passing, no further details were available beyond the location. Danielle Morris, Destiny’s mother, confirmed the official cause of death to the Daily Titan. 

Both heart conditions are often undetectable in many cases. The primary cause of death, mitral valve prolapse, affects the valves between the left heart chambers, which can cause blood to leak backwards across the valve. 

The secondary cause of death, myocardial bridging, is a condition which causes a coronary artery to grow through muscle in the heart instead of over it, impacting the heart’s ability to efficiently receive blood.  

The lack of information regarding the event led to speculation surrounding the cause.

“Speculations about her death sensationalized an inaccurate story and took away from celebrating her as the amazing individual she was and overshadowed her true essence,” wrote Morris’ parents in a statement to the Daily Titan. 

Morris was involved with CSUF’s Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity and Tusk Magazine, a student-produced campus publication that featured her work as a writer and model upon its December 2025 publication. She was also involved with By Your Side Dance Studio — an off-campus dance company. 

“Most people knew her as Destiny, the beautiful dancer, but she was so much more than that. She was Destiny the writer, the intellectual, the pianist, the vocalist, the actress, and the painter,” Morris’ parents wrote. 

Deborah Perez, the owner of By Your Side Dance Studio, established a GoFundMe for Morris’ family shortly after her death. $25,041 of their $25,000 goal has been raised as of Jan. 7. It is still available for donations.  

“When the official cause of death was announced far sooner than the nine-month projection, we were grateful to God above all,” Morris’ parents wrote. “We were relieved that there was no foul play, and now all speculation can dissipate.”

CSUF students can seek mental health support through Counseling and Psychological Services on campus. Employees and staff can find support at MyLifeMatters Care Center.