A 16-year-old girl in Las Vegas, Nevada, collapsed and died after suffering a medical emergency during a high school flag football game.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Desert Oasis High School sophomore Ashari Hughes, 16, collapsed around 7:30 p.m. Thursday following a home game against Valley High School. She was hospitalized and died later that evening, according to the newspaper.
The tragic event occurred just three days after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during a “Monday Night Football” game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which was witnessed by millions of people. According to officials, Hamlin is now “awake” and showing “remarkable improvement.”
The 16-year-old Nevada student could not be saved despite heroism.
According to the Review-Journal, registered nurse Aphelia Phifer-Hill posted on Facebook on Thursday night that she rushed onto the field to perform CPR on the girl who was her daughter’s teammate.
The newspaper reported that Phifer-Hill wrote that the teen collapsed after the game and that “everyone was panicking” due to the cold and rainy weather. Phifer-Hill attempted chest compressions and used an external defibrillator.
The post continued, “Her family was not at the game, but eventually arrived.” We were able to detect a heartbeat. According to Phifer-Hill, the adolescent was hospitalized and intubated prior to her death, as reported by the Review-Journal. Her post was apparently removed after the publication of the report.
On Friday, the 16-year-old was remembered for her passion for sports.
Enttroda and Twayne Hughes, the girl’s parents, said in a statement, “She loved music, dancing, and being around all the people she loved… She described football as her true passion in life!”
A Friday afternoon online fundraiser for Ashari Hughes’ funeral expenses raised more than $2,000 in two hours. Saturday morning, the total surpassed $21,000 of the $50,000 goal.
In an email sent to the school community on Friday, Desert Oasis principal Ian Salzman asked parents to be aware of how grief manifests in children and to seek counseling or support if necessary.
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