12 yr old NJ boy Elijah Jordan Brown-Garcia dies during football practise cause no one knew CPR as family now considers lawsuit.
‘You can’t run a team like that.’ A New Jersey mother is demanding answers after her 12-year-old son died after collapsing during no-contact football practice as none of the coaches were able to offer the boy CPR – because no one knew how to administer it.
Elijah Jordan Brown-Garcia, a sixth-grade student at KIPP Rise Academy in Newark, was running drills Feb. 10 when he collapsed and became unresponsive, according to his family and a school spokesperson.
Elijah’s 10-year-old brother, who was also at the practice, called their mother to tell her that the coaches — none of whom were CPR-certified — were trying to revive the young player.
“I said, ‘What are they doing? What is anybody doing?’ the brothers’ mom, Raven Brown recalled according to News 12 New Jersey.
‘He said, ‘They are pouring water on him, and they are fanning him.’ And that’s when I got my kids together and I said, ‘I’m on my way,’’ says Brown.
“Sorry, none of us are CPR-certified,’
Brown called an ambulance as she rushed to the field, and coaches also called twice, but Brown made it to her son before emergency personnel.
She said it took 30-40 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. Elijah was rushed to the hospital, where he died.
The next day, Elijah’s coach called Brow to apologize.
“Sorry, none of us are CPR-certified,” the coach allegedly told the grieving mother.
New Jersey state law requires at least one person to be CPR-certified at state school events and to have a defibrillator on standby.
‘They are neglectful. You can’t run a team like that,’ the outraged mother said.
Brown and her family are considering taking legal action against Essex County Predators football league, she said. The team acknowledged Elijah’s passing, but didn’t provide a comment to News 12 because of an ongoing investigation.
“Elijah Jordan Brown-Garcia, died after he went to a youth football practice .. after school Friday. He had no prior health issues, Brown (his mother) said.”
The article focuses on lack of CPR.
My question is why a healthy 12-yr old’s heart just stops.https://t.co/wKT0eyljHT
— IT Guy (@ITGuy1959) February 17, 2023
What caused healthy 12 year old boy’s heart to stop?
Officials are still looking into Elijah’s cause of death.
His mother said Elijah had never had any prior health issues and had gone to school earlier in the day without problems.
Playing on the football team was his favorite thing to do, his mother said.
‘He was so happy to be there. He didn’t know that it was going to be his last day’.
