‘One of a kind’ 12-year-old dies after collapsing at football practice, TN family says
Strong, smart, loving and kind.
That’s how family members described 12-year-old Kaden Gunter.
“He was one of a kind,” his mom, Breanna Gunter, wrote on Facebook. “He was so special and so loved. We will forever be thankful to have such an amazing son and we are so proud of the life he lived.”
Kaden, a seventh grader at Greeneville Middle School, died Friday, Sept. 22, days after he collapsed during football practice in Tennessee, his family and school district officials confirmed.
Relatives said he suffered “a cardiac emergency” on the field Tuesday and was taken to a children’s hospital before eventually transferring to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, the Greeneville Sun reported.
On Facebook, Kaden’s mother thanked the coaches and medical staff who rushed to help after she said her son’s heart stopped beating for nearly 30 minutes.
“There were 5 of them that ran straight to him and didn’t hesitate to do everything they did,” Breanna Gunter wrote. “They handled it with such urgency and he was in good hands.”
Tributes and condolences poured in following news of the 12-year-old’s death.
Greeneville City Schools officials said Kaden was loved by his teachers and classmates.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kaden’s family, friends, classmates, and the entire GMS staff,” Superintendent Steve Starnes told McClatchy News in a statement. “We also want to thank the community for their outpouring of support during this extremely difficult time.”
Kaden’s grandfather, Phillip Gunter, told The Greeneville Sun the family is awaiting autopsy results “to see what caused this, and maybe save another kid’s life.”
His funeral is set for Sunday, Oct. 1, his mother said.
Greeneville is about 250 miles east of Nashville.
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