Unfortunately the unexpected death of Donda West is starting to send the legacy of smart, switched on woman into soap opera territory.

First, let me express my commiserations to Kanye West and his family. No, I don't think there's a chance on earth he'll be reading this blog, but I am lucky enough to still have my Mum and I can only imagine what must be the horrible experience of having someone close to you gone so suddenly.

Kanye's mother died November 10 after being rushed to a California emergency room. She had undergone surgery the previous day. Several gossip blogs had an early heads up that Donda's death was caused by a cosmetic surgical procedure, namely a tummy tuck and a breast reduction. Autopsy results at this early stage have been inconclusive.

Kanye, by all accounts, was extremely close to his mother who raised him single handedly after divorcing Kanye's father when her son was 3. She was often by his side at shows and public appearances and even wrote a book about her famous son, 'Raising Kanye: Life Lessons From the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar.'

This was a smart, attractive, successful professional woman who left her chairwoman's position of Chicago State University's English Department to manage her son's career. She also chaired the Kanye West foundation, non-proft organization that works to improve literacy and decrease school dropout rates. Donda's reasons for cosmetic surgery are her own and don't have to be justified to anyone, but the question remains what went wrong? Was it just one of those things, or was there more to it?

The Dick Dastardly of the piece, Donda's surgeon, Jan Adams, is far from squeaky clean. He's had several malpractice suits filed against him over the past few years, as well as two alcohol-related driving arrests and rumours of assault charges looming over him. He's no wallflower either, managing to get his mug plastered on several American TV shows. But did he get up to something dodgy?

And the first question that springs to mind is that if Donda, obviously, had plenty of money to finance this surgery, why would she opt for a surgeon with a murky past? Latest whisperings are that Kanye's mum had a heart condition which prompted at least one other doctor to decline to operate on her without medical clearance, which Donda didn't get.

"I first want to express my deepest condolences to the West family at a very difficult time," Adams said in a statement earlier this week. "Out of respect for the West family and in the absence of other verifiable information, any comment from me without first discussing that information with the family would be unprofessional."

But there are no winners in this situation, least of all Kanye, whose mother was a large part of his inspiration and his motivation. Whether you love him or hate him, he's a unique and original performer who approaches fame and his music with complete honesty. Is he arrogant? Yes, I think he is. But in terms of his talent it's totally justified.

Let's just hope the press will stand back and give Kanye some space to breather, and that he'll be able to find his inspiration again now his mother is gone.