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East High cheerleader collapses at practice, dies
TweetThe girl passed out just after saying she felt sick.
STAFF REPORT
YOUNGSTOWN — A cheerleader at East High School collapsed during an after-school practice Wednesday and later died at St. Elizabeth Health Center.
School officials said the 16-year-old junior was just in the warm-up stages of practice when she passed out.
Her name wasn’t immediately available.
Superintendent Wendy Webb said there was no indication the girl was ill before the practice session. Those who were with her said she appeared to be fine, but complained about not feeling well shortly before she collapsed, Webb said.
Despite saying she felt ill, she insisted that practice continue, but passed out about a minute later, Webb said.
She said the girl had a history of asthma but Webb didn’t know if that was a contributing factor to the collapse.
“It’s very sad,” Webb said. “She was a very good student, a very nice young lady.”
The members of her cheerleading squad all rushed to the hospital to check on her and were broken-hearted by the news of her death, Webb said. Webb and other school officials also went to the hospital to meet with the girl’s family.
“It’s just a hard thing to deal with,” she said, noting that the district’s emergency response team has been activated and will be at East High School today to deal with student concerns.
It will be up to parents to determine if their children should stay home from school, she said.
The Mahoning County coroner’s office is investigating.
School officials called Youngstown police about the death. Because the coroner’s office was investigating, police weren’t asked to come to the school, a police dispatcher said.
Comments
We need to teach our kids, especially teenagers, to never ignore any unusual "feeling sick" symptoms or sensations. Kids of any age who participate in sports need more than the required H&P ("History and Physical" done by a Dr, who usually must sign a paper for sports participation).
Sports education should include:
1. That any student who feels ill before or during practice must tell a coach, teacher or other school official;
2. That schools and adults do NOT expect kids to "play when sick", even if the kid is the star player;
3. That continued good health is more important than any wins, or trophies;
4. That team members must keep well-hydrated, even in cooler or cold temperatures (i.e. Fall, Winter);
5. That "feeling faint" can come from a range of illnesses, from the flu, low blood sugar, or even a heart condition-- "feeling dizzy or faint" can indicate a very serious problem in some people;
6. That nausea can come from a range of illnesses, from the flu, low blood sugar, or even a heart condition--nausea can indicate a very serious problem in some people;
7. That overuse of caffeine, cigarettes, or other stimulants are not good, and can cause serious problems for athletes---or for anyone recovering from an illness; High-caffeine drinks are NOT good for students;
8. That any kid who is found to "play sick" or who does not report feeling ill to an adult will be penalized by not being allowed to play the next time.
We have to reverse previous teaching that kids must buck up and play sick.