So Sad: Las Vegas Teen Flag Football Star Collapses and Dies ‘Playing the Game She Loves’

A high school student in Las Vegas died while playing flag football on Thursday night.

via People:

The student – who was later identified by the Clark County Coroner’s office as 16-year-old Ashari Hughes – was in the middle of a game when she started experiencing chest problems, a family member told KVVU-TV. She had gone to the sidelines to rest when she collapsed.

Ian Salzman, the principal of Desert Oasis High School where Hughes attended, said in an email to parents obtained by KLAS-TV that “staff immediately began providing medical aid and continued until paramedics arrived,” but she did not survive.

The cause and manner of her death have not yet been released by the Clark County Coroner’s office.

However, Hughes had ongoing heart problems and she was seeing a cardiologist, a family member told KVVU-TV. They said that she had been previously cleared by her doctor to play sports, but her parents had been considering pulling her out to re-evaluate her condition.

Her family wrote on a GoFundMe page that they were thankful Hughes got to play “the game she loved” and that she “will be missed by all of us.”

“She was passionate, loving, and determined,” the family wrote. “She loved music, dancing, and being around all the people she loved. She called football the real love of her life! She loved hard and was loved by many.”

“Hold the #7 up high for her!,” they added. “It was her first football number and she always wanted to represent it well!”

Clark County School District Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara also issued a statement that said, “The loss of this young life deeply saddens us, and our thoughts are with the students’ friends, family and loved ones.”

Salzman encouraged parents in his email to monitor their children if they are experiencing any grief related to Hughes’ death and recommended that parents turn to services provided by the CCSD’s Crisis Response Team.

The incident with Hughes comes a few days after Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field after taking a hard tackle to his chest, which garnered national media attention. Hamlin received CPR for 10 minutes and appeared to be given oxygen before he was transported to the hospital in critical condition.

On Friday, the Buffalo Bills announced that Hamlin was now breathing on his own and has been able to speak to his family. The team said, “he continues to progress remarkably in his recovery” and noted that his “neurologic function remains intact.”

RIP Ashari.

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