A Missouri school community is grieving the loss of a star athlete who died after suffering cardiac arrest following a team practice this week.
Kadin Roberts-Day, a sophomore at Joplin High School, was participating in conditioning exercises Wednesday when he collapsed inside the school gym around 5:30 p.m., local station KY3 reported. The 16-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“It is with extremely heavy hearts that we can now share the tragic loss of Kadin Roberts-Day due to a cardiac arrest,” Joplin Schools announced in a statement on its Facebook page. “Coach (Curtis) Jasper and his coaching staff, his teammates, fellow teachers and students at Joplin Schools remember Kadin as an extremely personable and caring student.”
Kadin Roberts-Day, 16, had a history of severe asthma but had been cleared to play sports, according to the Joplin County coroner, (Photo courtesy of Shawn Fowler / Fowler’s Fotos)
According to the county coroner, Roberts-Day suffered from severe asthma but had been cleared to play sports. The school’s roster lists the offensive lineman as 205 pounds and 6 feet 3.
The teen’s twin brother, Kaian, is also on the football team, and officials said they were practicing indoors because it was too hot outside.
Roberts-Day’s death remains under review, but officials say his asthma may have been a contributing factor.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates that there are currently 6.2 million children under the age of 18 living with asthma. Data shows that asthma is more common in boys than girls, and that African-Americans are three times as likely to die from the condition.
Photography company Fowler’s Fotos said it “couldn’t find the words” to describe the loss of Roberts-Day, whom they photographed during games.
“My heart breaks for the Roberts-Day family and especially his twin brother Kaian and their little sister Kayla,” the company wrote. “Kadin was a very well mannered, quiet, sweet, and respectable young man that I got the privilege to get to know on the sidelines over the last year.”
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