Middle school football player Caden Sorrell has died after going into cardiac arrest during a practice at his school in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Friday, August 28. He was 13.
Sorrell died two days after the incident despite what his family called “every effort by his amazing medical team” to try and save his life, according to a GoFundMe description.
“Today, our Northwest Middle School family is grieving the loss of one of our students,” principal CeCe Matson wrote via Facebook on Sunday, August 30. “There are no easy words to make sense of losing a child, and our hearts are with the family, friends, classmates, and all who loved him.”
Matson continued, “We ask that you continue to keep this family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. As we grieve this loss, let us lean on one another and extend compassion to those around us. A caring heart and gentle presence can mean so much right now.”
“Northwest is a family, and we will lean on one another as we heal and honor the memory of our student,” she concluded.
Northwest Guilford High School had a football game scheduled for Friday night, but it was postponed in light of the incident.
The exact circumstances surrounding Sorrell’s death have not been made public. His sister, Vanessa Clark, told WXII12 that Sorrell had just begun practice when he ran a lap around the football field before going into cardiac arrest.
“Caden was an angel from heaven; he was brilliant, sweet, smart, kind; he made everybody around him feel loved,” Clark said. She also called him “the boy who everyone called their best friend.”
She added, “I was praying for him, and I hoped that he got better, that he was healed, which he was spiritually. I’m there for him, and I love him.”
His family described doctors using ECMO — an advanced form of life support — as well as a heart pump and “intensive treatment” to try and save his life.
Caden leaves behind a twin brother and three more siblings.
“Doctors believe Caden’s death may have been caused by an underlying genetic condition, and his siblings now need to be evaluated by specialists,” the GoFundMe description reads. “That means travel, medical expenses, and missed work on top of everything they are already carrying.”
In addition, the family is seeking funds so “Caden’s parents can focus on what matters most: mourning their son, supporting their children, and finding the answers their family desperately needs.”
As of Tuesday, September 1, the GoFundMe has raised more than $32,000 with a goal of $50,000.
