A 15-year-old Missouri high school student died two days after suffering a medical emergency. It’s the third case to happen in the U.S. this week.
Around 5:32 p.m. on Wednesday Aug. 14 the Johnson County Med-Act were dispatched to Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Shawnee, about 10 miles south of Kansas City, after a medical emergency was reported, a press release from the emergency care service said.
When the emergency responders arrived, the 15-year-old boy was in critical, life-threatening condition. He was then transported to a local hospital, the emergency service said.
“We have learned that the patient has passed away,” Capt. Joe Folsom of the Johnson County Med-Act told USA TODAY in a statement. “MED-ACT would like to extend our sympathies to the patient’s family, friends, and other loved ones.”
The Shawnee Mission School District identified the student as Ovet Gomez-Regalado and identified him as a sophomore at Shawnee Mission High School, according to a local outlet KSHB-TV,
Football-Related Death: 14-year-old Alabama high school football player collapses, dies at practice
Shawnee Mission School District sends letter to families about football player’s death
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School’s principal sent the following letter home to parents regarding Gomez-Regalado’s death, according to reporting by local outlet KDFW-TV, who obtained the letter.
“I am writing to share some difficult news with you. This morning, we learned of the death of Ovet Gomez Regalado, a sophomore here at Shawnee Mission Northwest, High School,” the letter read. “As you can imagine, it has been an extremely difficult time for the family. Ovet was such a warm and wonderful student that touched the hearts of so many in our community.”
The letter goes on to say that many of Gomez-Regalado’s classmates may “need time to process what has happened.” The school district is taking steps to help their community cope with this tragic loss.
“School and district staff will be available to talk with anyone who is struggling to handle their emotions around this difficult issue,” the letter said. “If your child would like to talk with someone, please encourage them to let an adult know, and we will help them.”
USA TODAY reached out to Shawnee Mission School District but have not received a response.
3 high school football-related deaths have been reported this week
Gomez-Regalado’s death is the third reported death of a high school football player in 12 days.
Javion Taylor, 15, died after doing about 40 minutes of light drills on Aug. 5, according to the school district in Hopewell, Virginia.
Semaj Wilkins, 14, suffered a medical emergency during an afternoon football practice on Aug. 13, in Alabama.
Expert says August is the ‘deadliest month’ for heat
“August is the deadliest month for high school athletes because of the heat,” said Madeleine Orr, an associate professor in sport ecology at the University of Toronto in Ontario and author of “Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport.”
“A person doesn’t escalate into exertional heat stroke out of nowhere. There’s external signs,” Orr said.
Even if there’s no visual clues for a person to see, the athlete would be feeling it, Orr said.
“The athlete has to feel comfortable telling a coach or a trainer, I don’t feel well,” she said.
Orr and others are concerned about the increasing risks to athletes of all ages as the climate warms.
July and August are the most deadly months for heat-related deaths among athletes, Orr said.
77 heat-related deaths have been reported since 2000
According to a USA TODAY database, at least 77 heat-related deaths have been reported among athletes since 2000. Of those deaths, 75% occurred during the months of July and August, and 65% of the fatalities were among teenagers. The numbers do not include the recent deaths.
“Temperatures are higher and the athletes aren’t yet acclimatized to playing in tough conditions,” Orr said. “It’s when the athletes are the least ready and it’s the hottest time.”
“Athletes are coming back to practices a little less fit than they would have been a few months ago and not acclimatized to the heat at this time.”
Experts say heat-related deaths are largely underreported in the U.S., in part because the official signing a death certificate may not be aware of the circumstances that led to the hospitalization or death.
It’s “really hard to track” deaths from exertional heat stroke, Orr said. “You need an internal body temperature at that time.”
“If coaches don’t know to check, by the time the athlete gets to the hospital the illness might be attributed to something else,” she said.
GoFundMe account created for Kansas City high school football player
A family friend, Candie Dearing, created a GoFundMe account to help the Gomez-Regalado family.
In a post on the account, Dearing said that Gomez-Regalado was his parent’s youngest son.
“Ovet was only 15 years old and one of the kindest humans,” Dearing wrote. “He was always offering a huge smile with a hug. All that knew him loved him. Let’s all come together and show them support and help them while they grieve this huge loss in their family.”
At the time of publication, the account raised $19,571 of the $25,000 goal.
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.
