A skilled young baseball player died in hospital Tuesday after suffering a serious head injury, and his parents are left wondering how it all happened.
Tsawwassen resident Kyle Losse, who recently celebrated his 14th birthday, played for the Delta Tigers, a triple-A team that includes players from North Delta, Ladner and Tsawwassen.
Niki Losse, Kyle’s step-mom, said she and her husband, Brian, were in bed on Sunday night (Jan. 21) when they heard a loud noise from the bathroom, where they found their son lying on the floor with a vape pen beside him.
“By the looks of things, he just got it (the vape pen) that weekend,” Niki told the Now-Leader on Thursday.
“We’re not 100 per cent sure what happened – whether he was vaping, got dizzy, hit his head, it doesn’t make sense.… They’re doing an autopsy to hopefully find out.”
Incoherent, Kyle was rushed by his family to Delta Hospital after they found him Sunday night.
“The only testing they did was a toxicology test, a blood and urine sample, and it came back saying there were no drugs in his system,” Niki said. “They told me that the types of things out there, they can’t test for everything. So they focused on the fact that he had this e-vape, and they didn’t focus much on his head at that point.”
The parents were told by hospital staff to take Kyle home, “and have him rest for two days, and to come back for blood work on Wednesday,” Niki said.
At home Monday, Kyle developed a rash on his body, Niki said, and he took a turn for the worse. That afternoon, first responders came to the house and Kyle was taken to BC Children’s Hospital.
Kyle, a Grade 8 student at South Delta Secondary, was taken off life support Tuesday (Jan. 23) and died around lunchtime.
Cam Frick, head coach of the Delta Tigers team, said Kyle was a very good baseball player – “maybe the top Grade 8 player in the province” in coaching circles, he said.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Tigers’ Twitter account posted a message saying, “Today we lost an amazing young man and ballplayer. Please keep the Losse family in your thoughts and prayers.”
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Kyle’s teammates were told of his hospitalization on Monday evening, during a practice that was then cancelled.
“That was the toughest thing ever, telling the team last night. We’re shocked,” said Frick.
On Monday, a page titled “RIP Kyle Losse” was created on Gofundme.com by Ben Lock, “dedicated to the family of the 14-year-old Kyle Losse who passed away on January 22.”
South Delta Secondary principal Terry Ainge wrote a letter to school parents on Tuesday.
“I am writing to you today with sad news,” Ainge wrote. “A current South Delta Secondary student has sustained a serious injury and is on life support.
“In an attempt to respect the family’s privacy we will not be providing names or details at this time,” Ainge said in the letter.
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In Ainge’s letter to parents, he said administrators started their school day “by connecting with staff and students to share that this student was on life support. We provided students with the opportunity to talk about their thoughts and feelings with both teachers and a counselor as needed. The school was provided with additional District staff to facilitate these supports.”
“During situations like this, it is important to be aware of the various roles social media can play,” Ainge added.
“We understand and appreciate expressions of empathy and support. On the other hand, rumors and speculation are not helpful to the family at this time. Please remind your child of the appropriate use of social media.”
