- Peyton West, 13 died unexpectedly on Thursday in Goshen, Ohio
- Had a congenital heart defect and had a transplant after falling ill in March
- But seemed fine on the first day of school until something went wrong
A 13-year-old boy who received a heart transplant months ago has died on the first day of school.
Peyton West died on Thursday morning in Goshen, Ohio, after falling suddenly ill as his father drove him to school on his first day of classes.
The boy was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and needed three open-heart surgeries before his fifth birthday, according to WCPO.
Peyton West, 13, seemed fine on Thursday morning and smiled for his back-to-school photo before suddenly falling ill and dying
Peyton had to have a transplant when his health deteriorated in March.
Peyton’s father says he seemed fine Thursday. He smiled for a first-day-of-school photo that morning before leaving their home in Goshen, about 31 miles northeast of Cincinnati.
On the way to school, Peyton told his father he didn’t feel right.
He was taken to a hospital, where he died at 10.45am. His family says they still don’t know what happened.
Peyton was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and needed three open-heart surgeries before his fifth birthday. He had a heart transplant in March
‘He was perfect last night,’ Corey told WCPO. ‘Perfect this morning. And then…it’s just precious. Life is precious.’
Family and friends held a prayer vigil Thursday night to honor Peyton.
He was remembered as a cheerful boy who loved football and FC Cincinnati, the local soccer club.
‘Peyton was truly a joy to everyone’s path he crossed,’ Goshen Local Schools superintendent Darrell Edwards said.