Bowie High School student dies after suffering medical emergency during football game
Bowie High School senior band member Daniel Esparza died on Sunday after suffering a medical emergency during the late stages of Friday's football game between Bowie and Ysleta at Baty Simmang Memorial Stadium.
His death was confirmed by a University Medical Center of El Paso spokesperson. No other information was immediately available.
According to an EPISD statement over the weekend, he was quickly attended to by the medical team on site that assessed the situation and ensured the necessary precautions were taken. Emergency medical services were called to the scene and transported him for further medical assistance.
The El Paso Independent School District issued the following statement about Esparza on Monday morning:
"The El Paso ISD community grieves with the family of Bowie High School student Daniel Esparza, who tragically passed away Sunday, Sept. 10. Daniel was a beloved member of the school community. He was a dutiful member of the Bowie band, mariachi group and JROTC who relished his role as a leader. El Paso ISD stands with Daniel's family and with the entirety of Bowie High School as they gather the strength to deal with this trying time. A team of counselors is available to Bowie students and staff, and the district will provide any additional support necessary. Thank you to our Bowie students and staff, our local emergency first-responder personnel, and everyone in the community who has offered support throughout the last few days."
Bowie band director Roberto Campos III was reflective on Esparza's impact on the school and himself on Monday morning.
"Wonderful kid," Campos III said of Esparza. "Music was a passion for him and he wanted to pursue that moving forward. We are going to miss him. Daniel had a great passion for life, he loved his family, his friends, his school. I've been the band director for three years and Daniel was a member of the band since I started. We always enjoyed being around Daniel, he was a positive influence on others, he was a great friend. In honor of him, we will continue to perform, we will continue to be the best we can. That's what he would have wanted."
Georgina Campos, mother of Roberto, created a GoFundMe account to help with medical expenses.
Channel 14-KFOX interviewed Ysleta ISD trainers Liana Armijo and Armando Adame about Friday's heartbreaking scene. It described a team effort by Ysleta and Bowie trainers and administration at the scene. CPR compressions were given to Esparza by Armijo, according to the story.
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Bowie senior marching band student Daniel Esparza dies
