NEED TO KNOW
- A 14-year-old high school soccer player died last week after collapsing during her team’s practice earlier this month
- Local reports say Christine Fontana’s family said she had an aneurysm and was hospitalized for a week before she died
- Fontana’s family remembered her as a talented athlete who was “full of kindness and laughter”
A Texas community is mourning the death of a high school student who collapsed during her team’s soccer practice earlier this month.
Christine Fontana was at her Robert Vela High School team’s soccer practice on Jan. 15 when she suffered an aneurysm and collapsed, her family told the Valley Morning Star and local KRGV.
The 14-year-old student was taken to a hospital, where she died on Thursday, Jan. 22.
Fontana’s father, Izaq Fontana, mourned his daughter’s death on Facebook while announcing plans to donate her organs, the Valley Morning Star reported.
“[She] was loved and impacted so many people,” Fontana’s father reportedly wrote. “She has had so many family, friends, coaches, teachers and many more show up to support and show their love for her. We decided to have her become an organ donor, so that she will continue to help people which is what she loved to do.”
Fontana’s aunt also launched a GoFundMe post to help raise money for the teenager’s family in order to help cover funeral expenses, writing that Fontana was “full of kindness and laughter” and “left us far too soon.”
“With a soccer cleat in one hand and a mic in the other, she lived life to the fullest,” Fontana’s aunt Nancy Cavazos wrote. “On the soccer field, she was unstoppable-a force of nature with a heart of gold. In choir, her voice soared, filling hearts with joy. Off the field and offstage, she was definitely a character; full of kindness & laughter, lighting up every room she entered.”
Cavazos added about her niece: “Her spirit was contagious, her love was pure, and her memory will forever inspire and live in every one of us!”
The local Edinburg School District confirmed Fontana’s death in a statement, according to KRGV.
“Our prayers are with her family,” the district said, per the outlet. “Grief counselors are available for teammates and any students who wish to speak with someone. Support will continue to be offered in the coming days.”
Read the full article here
