On Monday March 9, 14-year-old Daniel Padilla Jr., of Fresno, Calif., was enjoying playing basketball during a PE lesson at school when he suddenly collapsed and was rushed to hospital
A teenage boy has sadly died suddenly after collapsing at school.
The boy has been identified as 14-year-old Daniel Padilla Jr., of Fresno, Calif., he was playing basketball during P.E. class at Fresno High School on Monday, March 9, when he collapsed, ABC 30, ABC 7 News, and KMPH reported.
Am emergency service dispatcher could heard requesting emergency assistance for an unconscious child in the school’s gym around noon on Monday, according to dispatch audio obtained by ABC 30.
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“We can confirm that the student who collapsed during PE has tragically passed away at the hospital,” a spokesperson for Fresno Unified School District said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “Our hearts are with the student’s family, friends, and school community during this incredibly difficult time. At this time, we do not have any additional information to share.”
“Our hearts continue to ache in solidarity with the family of our student,” the FUSD spokesperson later said in an update. “We can only imagine the pain his unexpected passing is causing them. We are honoring and respecting our student and his family by giving them the time and space they need to grieve.”
Following the upsetting incident a team of mental health professionals have been made available at Fresno High School to provide both social and emotional support for students following Padilla’s death. Staff will also have the option to speak with counselors, and substitutes are available for teachers who may need time off to grieve.
Daniel’s sister Hailey Valdovinos has launched a GoFundMe page. Padilla is remembered as a “silly kid who loved playing video games, cracking jokes and enjoyed spending time with his family whenever he got the chance.” Valdovinos added that playing basketball was one of his favorite hobbies, and he also enjoyed going to the movies and hanging out with his siblings.
The GoFundMe, which has already raised more than $10,000 of its $18,000 goal, will help his loved ones with affairs such as burial costs for what Valdovinos described as an “unexpected and unexplained” death. Padilla’s cause of death has not yet been determined.
You can donate to the GoFundMe page by clicking here.