The demise of a loved one is never easy to take, especially if the death occurs when the person is young. On Friday evening, the LaPenna family was dealt a devastating blow when their beloved son died.
Lazar LaPenna was a fourth-grader at Long Beach’s East School. The ten-year-old was a member of a Little League team and was quite engaged in the sport.
On April 29, 2022, LaPenna was running to first base during his game at Point Lookout Park in Lido Beach when he unexpectedly experienced an epileptic seizure. Gregg LaPenna, his father, was the coach for his squad and was watching things happen from the sidelines.
Gregg LaPenna revealed that his kid was diagnosed with epilepsy some years ago and that the family was managing his condition with medicines. He went on to say that baseball had nothing to do with his son’s death. His son enjoyed baseball and was overjoyed when he had a hit early in the game.
One of the most frequent nervous system illnesses is epilepsy. It affects kids and grown ups of all races and ethnicities. The brain is made up of nerve cells that speak with one another via electric charges. A seizure happens when an abnormally large number of electrical signals disrupt normal brain signals.
An epileptic seizure can be triggered by a number of factors, including a high temperature, high or low blood sugar, withdrawal from alcohol or narcotics, or a concussion. Only when a youngster has at least two seizures with no known trigger is he or she diagnosed with epilepsy. There are currently no cures for epilepsy; only therapies and management of the illness are available.
Gerry LaPenna, Lazar’s elder brother, was coaching first base at the time. When Lazar reached first base, he put his arm on his brother’s shoulder to balance himself but quickly fell. When Gregg LaPenna arrived on the scene, he realized it was not a normal seizure. When paramedics got on the scene, they attempted to revive Lazar with CPR but were unable.
Lazar LaPenna’s relatives and well-wishers shared posts on social media about how the young kid was a great Mets fan. Dr. Jennifer Gallagher, superintendent of the school district where Lazar attended, took to Facebook to address parents’ and well-wishers’ worries and questions about the unfortunate tragedy.
She expressed, that this tragedy is sure to raise numerous feelings, concerns, and inquiries for students and staff, especially for those who are close to this family and further added that all of the schools have a Crisis Intervention Team made up of professionals prepared to handle with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel during troublesome times like this.
Little League also published an official statement on the tragic occurrence. They discussed how not just Lazar LaPenna was participating in the scheme, but his entire family had participated for centuries. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to mother Monique, father and coach Gregg, brothers Gerry and Blaze, and the whole LaPenna family,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them all at this time,” it continued.
The demise of Lazar LaPenna has come as a major shock to both his family and the community. He died far too young.
Please join us in praying for Lazar LaPenna and his grieving family.
