Texas family mourn ‘beautiful’ girl, 15, after her tragic sudden death

A Texas family is mourning the loss of their teenage daughter after she collapsed and died from a sudden heart attack just before her 16th birthday. 

Kaitlynn Saunders, 15, was rushed to the hospital on Thursday. Her mom, Nancy, was home and called emergency services. 

The young teen was set to celebrate her 16th birthday on Tuesday. She was a student at Barbers Hill High School in Mount Belvieu, a suburb outside of Houston. 

Kaitlynn’s family was shocked to learn she died of a heart attack. They told local CBS affiliate, WTSP, that she had no underlying conditions and there were no warning signs.

‘All they said was that it happens within teenagers, not as often. One in a million. One in a thousand, it could happen, and that day it was just going to happen to her,’ Nancy told WTSP. 

‘Should have taken me instead of her,’  her father Nicholas told the outlet. 

‘Hardest thing in my life. Not from a heart attack at 15 years old,’ he added. 

Nicholas received the gut-wrenching phone call at work, informing him of the tremendous loss. 

 Kaitlynn Saunders, 15, died on Thursday after she collapsed in her home and suffered a sudden heart attack 

Her mom, Nancy (left), said that she had no underlying conditions and there were no warning signs before her daughter’s shocking death 

Kaitlynn’s father (right) told local news that his daughter’s death was the ‘hardest thing,’ and Kaitlynn’s brother, Blake (middle), said she was a ‘very great sister’ 

‘I was freaking out, didn’t think it was real,’ he recalled. 

Her mother described her as ‘wonderful,’ adding that she had a big heart and was caring. 

Kaitlynn’s brother, Blake, said she was a ‘very great sister’ and said he’ll miss her voice the most. 

Nancy told WTSP, ‘Hold your kids tight, always tell them you love them. Life takes them away for no reason. It’s not fair, but that’s life.’

Kaitlynn excelled in school and was a National Honor Society Student. She was inducted just a week before her death, according to a GoFundMe description. 

‘She was full of life—athletic, funny, smart, and incredibly kind,’ the description continued.

‘She loved flowers and Takis, enjoyed dancing and music, and cherished every moment with her family.’

Kaitlynn was a high school student and was preparing to celebrate her Sweet Sixteen on Tuesday before her death 

Nancy said there was no explanation for her daughter’s death, telling local news, ‘All they [doctors] said was that it happens within teenagers, not as often. One in a million. One in a thousand, it could happen, and that day it was just going to happen to her’

Although it is incredibly rare, teenagers can suffer heart attacks, and the rate of young people under the age of 40 has increased in recent years, according to the Cardio Metabolic Institute. 

Last March, a high schooler in Oklahoma was tragically placed on life support and later died after suffering a heart attack at the gym. 

The heart attack rate increased by two percent for younger patients between the years 2000 and 2016. 

Now, one in five heart attack patients is shockingly under the age of 40. Younger patients also face the same risks as older patients when recovering from a heart attack.