A Michigan community is mourning the death of one of its youngest and brightest stars.
On Friday, July 14, Monea Pace, a member of the Southfield-Lathrup Falcons Football and Cheer youth sports organization, collapsed during cheer and dance practice.
Paramedics were called after the 10-year-old lost consciousness in front of her cheer squad around 8 p.m. outside Thompson K-8 International Academy. Once there, the emergency workers tried to revive her, using everything at their disposal to save her life. However, despite their exhaustive effort, she never regained consciousness, WXYZ reports.
Monea was rushed to the local hospital, where she was pronounced dead around 9 p.m.
The cause of death is unknown. The Oakland County Medical Examiner has conducted a toxicology test and is awaiting the results before suggesting what may have ended the pre-teen’s life.
Known as an outstanding talent, family, friends, and instructors all recognized her gift, noting that the cheer and dance leader had recently won a scholarship to a dance academy.
“She loved to cheer so much. She’s been cheering … this would be her third year. The first year she cheered, she was really good — they moved her up a class. The second year, she won cheerleader of the year,” Monea’s grandmother Tanza Norfleet said to Click On Detroit.
Trinity Paige, Monea’s cousin, said she didn’t know how she felt about the cheerleader’s death, calling the feeling “unreal.”
“It’s unbelievable. I just can’t believe and I won’t believe that she’s gone,” Trinity said in an interview with FOX 2. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do without her.”
It was particularly challenging as the cousin was at practice with Monea and was with her right before she collapsed.
“We were finally about to branch off, and I was like, ‘Have fun at practice. I love you,’ and those were the last words I said to her,” Trinity recalled. “I’m trying to stay strong for everybody else, but it’s like I can’t do it. Every time I think or hear somebody talking about her, I just want to break down.”
Another young cousin, Nicholas Paige, age 9, expressed his feelings about the loss of his beloved relative. He believed she did not deserve to pass away. Like countless others who described her as “sweet” and “loving,” he felt she was taken too soon from this world due to her tender age.
The family launched a GoFundMe campaign, raising almost $6,000 for her July 22 funeral.
