A 13-year-old middle school football player in North Carolina has died after collapsing during practice.
Caden Ray Sorrell, an eighth grader at Northwest Guilford Middle School, went into sudden cardiac arrest on Aug. 28, shortly after running a lap at the start of football practice, his aunt Sophia Riley said in a post on Facebook.
He was taken to Moses Cone Hospital, where medical staff placed him on ECMO, a heart-lung machine, in an attempt to save his life, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up on behalf of the Sorrell family.
Northwest Middle School Principal CeCe Matson confirmed Caden’s death on Facebook the same day, saying the school community was grieving and asking the public to keep the family in their thoughts. The school’s Parent-Teacher-Student Organization also posted on Facebook, saying a memorial space had been set up on campus at a landmark referred to as “the Rock” for students and community members to leave flowers and notes.
A community vigil was held Sept. 2 at Northwest Guilford High School, according to the aunt. Attendee Allison N. Larrimore described the gathering in a Facebook post as a powerful show of unity, saying the Northwest school community came together to honor Caden’s memory and support his family.
Caden’s older sister, Vanessa Clark, told television station WXII that her brother appeared perfectly healthy before his collapse. “Caden was an angel from heaven; he was brilliant, sweet, smart, kind; he made everybody around him feel loved,” Clark said. “He was a picture of health. We don’t know why [it happened] but it did,” Clark added.
Caden was born Oct. 20, 2012, in Forsyth County and is survived by his parents, Kenny Sorrell II and Laura Sorrell, along with four siblings, including twin brother Braxton Sorrell. Doctors believe an underlying genetic condition may have contributed to his death, and his four siblings are now expected to undergo medical evaluations, according to the GoFundMe campaign.
A memorial service was scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at Ellisboro Baptist Church, with guests asked to wear red in honor of Caden’s favorite color.
The GoFundMe campaign, organized by family member Joshua, was created to help cover funeral and memorial costs, medical testing for Caden’s siblings, and lost wages for his parents. As of Saturday morning, the campaign had raised more than $51,000 toward a $60,000 goal.
Caden’s obituary encourages memorial donations either to the fundraiser or to organizations that advocate for medical screenings among young athletes.
