‘I’m so lucky to call him my baby brother’: Community gathers to honor middle schooler after cardiac arrest
By Bethany Cates
Click here for updates on this story
GUILFORD COUNTY, North Carolina (WXII) — Family, friends, coaches, and the Viking community gathered at Northwest Guilford High School to honor Caden Sorrell, a middle schooler who died after suffering cardiac arrest during football practice last week.
During the vigil, Sorrell’s sisters shared emotional tributes, describing him as a light in their lives and the best friend everyone wanted.
“He was the most loving, caring, sweetest boy I’ve ever met, and I’m so lucky to call him my baby brother,” one of his sisters said.
She reflected on the good times they shared and the moments she wished they could still experience together.
“The hardest thing to comprehend, you won’t be at my wedding or meet my kids. We were supposed to do all of this together,” she said.
Despite the pain, she vowed to keep his memory alive.
“I will make sure nobody ever forgets you, Caden. You will always be here in spirit,” she said.
Sorrell’s older sister shared how she felt grateful to be by his side in his final moments.
“When you took your last breath, I’m so glad that I got to be there holding your hand and being there for you when you needed me most,” she said.
A family friend shared a poignant moment from the vigil, describing how a dove landed near the number 42 on the field, which was Sorrell’s football number.
“I don’t know if you noticed, but a dove came down and landed right by the number 42 on the field. I don’t know if you noticed that, but we were not alone. Caden was here, and he made his presence known when he came down to his number,” said Alan Vaughn, friend of the family.
He also remembered Sorrell’s warm personality.
“He left every environment, every situation by hugging everyone in the room,” he said.
Sorrell’s coach shared that the number 42 will now hold a special place in the community.
“From this day forward, the number 42 will not only be with them on the football field but in the classrooms and all the homes that he impacted,” the coach said.
The family said they are working to bring awareness to AEDs and have started a fundraiser for two AEDs to have at both of their practice fields. Vaughn said they had already been given.
Sorrell’s family plans to hold a memorial service at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Ellisboro Baptist Church.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.