Pennsylvania Boy, 10, dies of heart attack just a day after he helped baseball team win championship
A 10-year-old baseball player who helped his team secure a championship win has died from a heart attack, leaving a Pennsylvania community reeling.
Bryson Funk, of Linglestown, passed away on Thursday after suffering from a cardiac arrest linked to myocarditis, which causes inflammation in the middle layer of the heart's wall.
His family told CBS 21 he was born with congenital heart defects - coarctation of the aorta and a deformed bicuspid aortic valve - but doctors said these conditions had nothing to do with his death.
Just a day before the unexpected tragedy, the little league athlete pitched the final three innings of his team's championship game.
He struck out the opponents' last batter and lead the Colts to victory.
'Bryson was quite the athlete,' Nicki Branther, one of Bryson's relatives wrote on a GoFundMe page created to cover funeral expenses.
The shocking death has rattled his friends, teammates and loved ones, who have taken to social media to honor the 'vibrant' and 'active' young man.
'Yesterday, our baseball family lost a shining light far too soon,' the Lower Paxton Township Community shared in a heartbreaking Facebook tribute on Friday.
'He brought energy, kindness, and a true love for the game to every field he stepped on.'
The Linglestown Baseball Association described Bryson as a 'vibrant and talented All-Star' who 'brought energy, kindness, and a true love for the game to every field he stepped on.'
His team brought Bryson's jersey to games over the weekend, honoring the player gone too soon.
Bryson was not only a talented pitcher, but a valued addition to the 717 Athletics cheerleading team.
'Bryson brought so much joy, laughter, and light into the lives of all who knew him,' the team wrote.
'His time with us was far too short, but the love he gave and the memories he created will forever live on in our hearts.'
The Peyton Walker Foundation, a nonprofit group committed to raising awareness to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) among young people and advocates for regular heart screenings, also addressed Bryson's death.
The organization said: 'We are heartbroken at the Peyton Walker Foundation to learn of the tragic loss of Bryson Funk, a young athlete in our community.
'Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and all who are grieving. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.'
Roughly 2,000 kids die from SCA each year in the US, according to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
These sudden heart attacks are most common among males between the ages of 10 and 19.
While SCA is considerably rare, it accounts for up to five percent of deaths among five to 19-year-olds, Johns Hopkins reported.
In addition to the GoFundMe, which has raised more than $42,000, a Meal Train was created to support Bryson's grieving parents, Todd and Amy, and his younger sister.
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