What caused the sudden death of Virginia teenager Madison Small remained a mystery on Thursday as family and friends mourned her loss.
Small, senior captain of her high school softball team in Ashburn, Virginia, played catch with her father Sunday night, but was violently ill by Monday night, and
died early Tuesday, WUSA 9 reported.
An autopsy has been ordered to determine what caused Small’s death. It is not believed her illness was contagious.
A friend, Devan Rook,
told the Washington Post that Small became ill on Monday, went to an urgent care, and was sent home. She then awoke in the middle of the night Monday, very ill, and her condition rapidly deteriorated.
"Because I play right behind her, I would always tell her — 'Madison I've got your back,'" Broad Run High School’s right fielder told WUSA 9, with tears in her eyes. "And I hope that now that she's gone she always has mine still."
Friends, teammates, and family members went online to post their sorry over Small’s loss. Many used the #weplayfor24 tag on their posts, referring to Small’s softball number, and photos popped up with teams honoring her by wearing the number.
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