Dana Housley, a star high school softball player who collapsed and fell unconscious during an at-bat Saturday, has died at age 15, the Daily Mail is reporting .
Housley was at bat for her club team, the California Thunder, last Saturday when she told her coach, Angelo Michaels, that she didn’t feel right.
“She turned to look at me, which I thought was kinda odd in the middle of the pitch, and she said ‘coach Angelo, I feel dizzy.’ As she was walking toward me, her knees started to give way and I caught her.”
Her parents and a medical team ran to her side. Housley was taken to the hospital, unconscious.
The teenager, who was not breathing and had no brain function, was placed on life support. Her team and her community rallied around her.
We came together to #PrayForDana #danasmiracle . #CalThunder team is family. We love you! #21DanaHousley pic.twitter.com/bmVohqLtPL
— California Thunder (@CalThunder) May 24, 2015
On Wednesday evening, after four days on life support, Dana Housley died. Her parents, Larry and Julietta, announced the teenager’s death on Facebook and on a GoFundMe page intended to raise support for the family.
“Tonight our beautiful Dana chose to go with the Lord. We don’t yet understand his plan for her, but she will make a perfect angel. The tremendous national and international outpouring of love and support for our daughter and our family during this devastating ordeal is appreciated beyond words. Although the journey ahead for our family will be unimaginably painful, we now understand we have a family of thousands in the softball community to help us through. We will feel pain and emptiness at the loss of our baby girl, but we won’t have to feel it alone. As we begin the healing process, we thank you all. We will not forget your love, prayers, and support, nor will we ever forget the wonderful memories of our little girl, Dana Housley #21.”
The Lord has a new Angel. #ripDana #danaisourangel #21 #21 Dana #PrayForDana
— California Thunder (@CalThunder) May 28, 2015
Dana’s family suspects the 15-year-old may have died of a brain aneurysm — an abnormality in a blood vessel in the brain which causes the vessel to swell like a balloon. If it ruptures, it can cause a stroke and, ultimately, death. Aneurysms are rare in healthy teenagers; they usually occur in people over 40 and who have a family history of them.
As of this post, Dana Housley’s family has not yet announced funeral arrangements for the girl.
[Image courtesy of: GoFundMe ]
