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Texas Teen, 16, Dead After Unexpectedly Suffering Medical Episode at Cheer Camp
Callie Marie Mitchell was found unresponsive at cheer camp and died a week later in the hospital
A Texas teen has died unexpectedly after being found unresponsive at cheer camp, and her parents are hoping the tragedy inspires other parents to pursue heart health checks for their children.
Callie Marie Mitchell, who hailed from Katy, was at Texas A&M University when she was discovered unresponsive by a coach last month, according to local media outlet KHOU.
The coach performed CPR on Callie, 16, and she was airlifted to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, but she died a week later on Aug. 1, the outlet reported.
Callie’s mother, Michelle Donahue, told KHOU that her daughter had left for cheer camp on Jul. 24 and was “super excited” about going. But once there, a coach called Michelle and Callie’s father, Scott Donahue, and asked them a question about their daughter before she was discovered unresponsive.
"She said, 'Hey, does Callie have a problem waking up in the morning?' And I said, 'No never,' ” Michelle — who is an assistant principal at Morton Ranch High School, where Callie would have started as a junior this year — recalled to the outlet.
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Following the phone call, the parents drove to the university's location at College Station, where they learned that the same coach had performed CPR on their daughter.
"If it wasn't for [Coach] Eberly, we would have never had the chance to say goodbye," Michelle said of her daughter, adding that Callie, who started cheering when she was 2, “was like sunshine.”
“[She] always wanted to be a friend to anyone and everyone," Callie's father noted.
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Scott told KHOU that Callie's suspected cause of death is likely "a cardiac arrest that was caused by Long QT syndrome.”
According to Mayo Clinic, Long QT syndrome (LQTS) “is a heart signaling disorder that can cause fast, chaotic heartbeats (arrhythmias).”
Following their daughter’s death, Michelle and Scott want other parents to be aware of the condition and have their children undergo an electrocardiogram (EKG) on their hearts.
"For any other parents out there, you know they do physicals every year ... EKGs are not part of a physical ... get an EKG," Scott said.
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According to ABC13 Houston, high school athletes in Texas are able to request electrocardiogram heart screenings during their required yearly physical exams.
The legislation — House Bill 76 — was signed into law in 2019 and is known as “Cody’s Law” following the death of 18-year-old Cody Stephens.
Stephens, a talented football player who was getting ready to play college football, died unexpectedly in 2012 due to an undiagnosed heart condition.
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