KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 15-year-old student from Shawnee Mission Northwest died two days after he was rushed to a hospital due to a medical emergency.
The Shawnee Mission School District confirmed the student’s death on Friday. Johnson County Med-Act took the student to a hospital in critical condition on Wednesday.
The school district identified the student as Ovet Gomez Regalado, a sophomore.
Some of Regalado’s classmates have already spoken out about the tragedy.
“He was always happy and always had a smile on his face and just kind of lightened up the room,” said one fellow classmate.
Members of the Shawnee community have been weighing in on the incident as well.
“Every time we hear these stories from young athletes, we go most of the time to what could have happened?” asked Sarahi Ortiz, who lives near the school and has been dealing with the heat herself.
“Was it the heat? Because its been pretty hot out here. Did he have any conditions that could’ve complicated what happened to him?”
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Shawnee Mission Northwest’s principal sent the following letter home to parents:
“Dear Shawnee Mission Northwest Staff and Families,
I am writing to share some difficult news with you. This morning, we learned of the death of Ovet Gomez Regalado, a sophomore here at Shawnee Mission Northwest, High School. As you can imagine, it has been an extremely difficult time for the family. Ovet was such a warm and wonderful student that touched the hearts of so many in our community.
Death is always difficult to handle, but particularly so when someone so young dies. It will be important to recognize that all of us will need time to process what has happened, and to express our feelings. Your child may struggle to make sense of this death. Please encourage your child to express their feelings, and be there to talk with them about what has happened.
At the same time, it is important to understand that there will be many details that we do not know. Your child will hear many different things, but please encourage them not to make guesses and spread rumors. The family will need privacy as they struggle to handle their grief, and the administration is asking everyone to respect that privacy.
School and district staff will be available to talk with anyone who is struggling to handle their emotions around this difficult issue. If your child would like to talk with someone, please encourage them to let an adult know, and we will help them.
Again, there are many questions that we cannot answer, but we can be here to support each other during this difficult time. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Lisa Gruman
Principal“
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