Have you ever felt sick and just wanted to lay down?

Well that’s exactly how Lilliana Schalck felt when she unfortunately passed away last month on February 23^rd 2019. She was described as an upbeat person who always wore a smile on her face. She went to Highlands Middle School and was on the varsity dance team for Premier Athletics of Northern Kentucky as an eighth grader.

This is a big accomplishment because the team hasn’t let any freshmen on the varsity team in a long time let alone an eighth grader. She was in a cheer leading competition in Columbus, Ohio when she suddenly felt sick.

Karen Cheser, the Fort Thomas Independent Schools Superintendent wrote a letter to the parents of Lilliana Schalck saying, “she was beloved by all” and the athletic director Kevin Nieporte said, “she was one of our most talented cheerleaders and the nicest person.” Everyone who knew Schalck would agree with both Cheser and Nieporte and then some. She had a great attitude and never backed down from a challenge.

Schalck was 13 years old when she passed away, but the cause of death is

still unknown. Her symptoms were, hamstring pain, numbness in her hands (they were cold), and she just felt weak. Doctors are still stumped on what caused her to pass away, but her heart stopped twice in the ER and a total of four times. Many people thought that she was just dehydrated or had a pinched nerve before anything serious happened. Her coach said that this is the first time that she had ever said that she felt sick or anxious.

Dancers have increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness. They also have better coordination, agility and flexibility, so it is strange why Lilliana’s heart stopped four different times. She was a flyer (the dancer who gets thrown in the air and caught) she weighed 80 pounds and at 4′-10″ tall, she was perfect for a flyer. The real cause of Lilliana’s tragic death has still not been found, but the coroner office said details will be released in the next 8-10 weeks.