Liam Mildenstein, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints follower dies of heart failure after reading his mission call to Florida family while in Provo, Utah.
A 19 year-old prospective missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, collapsed and died of heart failure in front of his stunned family, moments after revealing his first mission call would be to his dream country – Japan.
The incident occurred in Provo, Utah, where Liam Mildenstein and his family had traveled for vacation from Miami, Florida. The tragedy occurred when Liam got the call from the Mormon church and began reading aloud his two-year missionary assignment.
The teen suddenly collapsed, falling backward onto the floor, never regaining his pulse.
The family called for emergency paramedics but about an hour later, the 19-year-old was pronounced dead.
Family await results of autopsy
Liam’s brother Kaelten told the Salt Lake Tribune that he wasn’t aware of any health problems.
‘There were no signs of anything leading up to the day either,’ the sibling said.
‘It was such a shock that it feels unreal. It was truly an unexplainable tragedy.’
Mildenstein’s family are now awaiting the results of an autopsy.
Mildenstein’s family described Liam as ‘ecstatic’ in the moments leading up to his sudden death and said they’d been hoping ‘with all his heart’ that he’d be sent to Tokyo.
‘He talked about nothing but his mission for the past year,’ Kaelten said. ‘It was his dream since he was young to serve his mission in Tokyo.’
The mood as Mildenstein read the news had already been bittersweet, with family aware they might not see him for the next two years.
‘You don’t really get to ask, it’s just a lottery pick of where you want to call.’
‘My entire family – my grandfather, my uncles, and a bunch of my cousins – they all served in Japan,’ Kaelten said.
‘It was something that he wanted to be a part of, he really always wanted to go to Japan for his mission.
‘You don’t really get to ask, it’s just a lottery pick of where you want to call.’
Kaelten said that his younger brother’s death was a true shock.
Told Kaelten: ‘Liam was a very sweet person. He was very innocent and always wanted to help people and do good. He had a childlike heart. He was a musician. He played drums and Irish flute and all kinds of instruments.’
The family has launched a Gofundme to cover the ‘unexpected funeral expenses’ and has already accomplished it’s $30,000 goal. As of Saturday, the fundraiser had amassed just over $38K.
‘All of this is completely surreal, and being far from home creates so many difficult circumstances that we are reaching out for any help or assistance possible,‘ the Gofundme, written by Liam’s parents, stated.
‘We want to ensure that Liam can be laid to rest peacefully in the middle of all of this chaos. Thank you for the love and support we feel from all of you.’
