Catholic Central sophomore football star dies in his sleep
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By Maurielle Lue Fox 2 News
The strength of the Widzinski family is nothing short of inspirational. Mom, dad, brother and sister are standing arm in arm in their grief. 15-year-old David, their son and brother, died in his sleep.
"We don't know. He went to bed by eleven o'clock on Sunday, appeared perfectly normal and fine, and when his alarm went off in the morning on Monday he was not responsive," said father Paul Widzinski.
"We're struggling, but we're just really leaning on one another and doing everything we can to support one another," said mother Barbara Widzinski.
David was found by his mother. The family first thought the teen had choked on a late night snack, chocolate chip cookies, but the medical examiner told them the teens lungs were clear.
Family said David was a healthy kid who loved football and his classmates at Catholic Central. His team put up a good fight against Cass Tech for the Division 1 title on November 26.
He was a good kid, but Stephen and Emily said his best quality was brother.
"It's tough. It's going to take a long time for this to set in and an even longer time for it to really materialize and then, eventually, it should make its impact on me," said Stephen Widzinski.
"It's hard to comprehend and just to even imagine that this is actually happening right now. I just keep on thinking like he's going to be home when I get home or this is just a bad dream I just need to wake up from and just hard to deal with," said Emily Widzinski.
"He was just a really special individual and all we can do now is live in his honor," Stephen Widzinski said.
Counselors spent the day at Catholic Central, whose students prayed the Rosary early Tuesday morning. David's family needs those prayers now more than ever.
"Just devastating. I don't even have words to describe it. We're crushed. We're just struggling moment to moment to get through," Paul Widzinski said.
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