A seven-year-old boy from Minnesota passed away after suffering a medical emergency at his school. The authorities were notified of this emergency just before 9:30 AM on September 16 at Westwood Elementary School, according to the St. Cloud Police Department.
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Community Shaken After 7-Year-Old Dies From Medical Emergency At Minnesota School
PEOPLE reported that first responders administered CPR on the child. They soon transferred him to CentraCare, St. Cloud Hospital. After that, he was admitted to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his wounds.
Police don’t suspect any foul play in the death of this child, whom they have yet to publicly identify. Still, they are working with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the boy’s cause of death.
According to CBS News, this sudden death has struck fear in the parents of St. Cloud with kids who have autism. Over 100 Somali parents, educators, and autism advocates got together in a Zoom meeting on Tuesday evening to share their worries.
The outlet identified the seven-year-old boy as someone with autism. Although the community knows that the boy reportedly stopped breathing at school, they are left in the dark about the details of his death.
“As of this moment, that’s how confused the family is right now,” said Samsam Mohamed, a board member of Maangaar Voices, an autism advocacy group. “They don’t have a concrete answer about what happened.”
St. Cloud Area School District confirmed the child’s death in a news release on September 22. “It is with great sadness that we share that a member of our Westwood student community passed away after experiencing a medical emergency at school last week,” the statement read.
“Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we are not sharing additional information about the individual at this time.” The district then confirmed it conducted a full review of its response and operations. It also confirmed that the authorities conducted their own independent review.
“We have also reached out to the family and remain committed to transparency,” it continued. “We know that news like this can bring up many emotions for adults and children.” The district said it was committed to supporting its students and staff’s well-being.
“Our counseling and support teams are on-site and available for any student or staff member who may need support. We encourage students to visit the counseling office at any time.”