A 15-year-old high school football player in Alaska died of cardiac arrest after suddenly collapsing during a gym class. Levi Curry was declared brain-dead on Friday, Nov. 6, after collapsing the previous day at Eagle River High School, according to a GoFundMe organized for his family.
School staff and paramedics responded quickly to the incident. Paramedics provided CPR during transport to the hospital, but were unable to save Curry.
"Levi was more than a football player. He was a son, a friend, a teammate, a brother, and a valued member of our Wolves family," the school's football team posted on Facebook.
Curry’s parents told Alaska’s News Source that he had been born with a heart condition, but a recent surgery had nearly corrected it. "The surgery basically healed it; other than that, he’s just like a normal kid," his father, James, said.
Curry’s last conversation with his father was about him being honored as one of the state’s top football players. "Levi was like so excited about that, he was really joyful, and he called his dad to tell him," his mother, Mary, said.
His coach, Jonathan Wetzel, remembered Curry as a talented player and a positive influence. "There was plenty of times that I could be having a bad day at work, and I could get to the ball field, and you know see him coming up and his smile would just kind of wash that bad day away," Wetzel said. He also noted that Curry was the first ninth-grader he had ever seen start on the offensive line for varsity in his 17 years of coaching.
More than 500 people attended Curry’s funeral on Wednesday.