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13-year-old dies after cardiac arrest at football practice

13-year-old player dies after collapsing on football field Caden Sorrell, 13, had just started football practice Aug. 28 at Northwest Guilford (N.C.) Middle School and ran a lap around the football field when he went into cardiac arrest. (Courtesy: Sorrell family)

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — A North Carolina middle school student went into cardiac arrest during football practice and later died. He was 13 years old.

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Caden Sorrell had just started football practice Aug. 28 at Northwest Guilford Middle School and ran a lap around the football field when he went into cardiac arrest, WXII reported.

The school’s principal announced a student’s death, saying they will lean on each other as they heal and honor his memory.

“There are no easy words to make sense of losing a child, and our hearts are with the family, friends, classmates and all who loved him,” Principal CeCe Matson wrote.

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His sister, Vanessa Clark called Caden an angel from heaven.

“He was brilliant, sweet, smart, kind, he made everybody around him feel loved,” she said.

She said they were not aware of any prior issues, calling her brother a picture of health.

A friend of the family says they’re looking to ensure automatic external defibrillators, which aid in cardiac arrest, are in more accessible places when it comes to sports.

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