A 16-year-old cheerleader from Katy, Texas, Callie Marie Mitchell, tragically passed away after being found unresponsive at a cheer camp at Texas A&M University. Callie’s coach discovered her unresponsive and performed CPR before she was airlifted to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Despite the efforts, Callie succumbed to her condition a week later on August 1 as reported by KHOU.
Callie’s parents, Michelle and Scott Donahue, were informed about their daughter’s condition by the coach who found her. Michelle, an assistant principal at Morton Ranch High School where Callie was set to begin her junior year, recalled the coach asking if Callie had trouble waking up in the morning. The parents rushed to the university’s location at College Station, where they learned about the CPR performed on their daughter.
Michelle expressed her gratitude towards the coach, stating that without her, they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to say goodbye to their daughter. Callie, who started cheerleading at the age of 2, was described by her parents as a ray of sunshine who always wanted to befriend everyone.
Scott Donahue suspects that Callie’s death was caused by a cardiac arrest triggered by Long QT syndrome, a heart signaling disorder that can cause rapid, chaotic heartbeats. Following their daughter’s untimely death, Michelle and Scott are urging other parents to have their children undergo an electrocardiogram (EKG) to detect potential heart conditions.
Scott emphasized the importance of EKGs, stating that while they are not part of a regular physical, they can be crucial in detecting heart conditions. In Texas, high school athletes can request EKG heart screenings during their required yearly physical exams, thanks to a 2019 legislation known as “Cody’s Law”. The law was named after Cody Stephens, an 18-year-old football player who died unexpectedly in 2012 due to an undiagnosed heart condition.
Callie’s parents are determined to share her story and raise awareness about the importance of heart health checks. They want their daughter to be remembered for her faith and her love for cheerleading. Callie’s last social media post read, “His plan over mine,” a testament to her strong faith.