Jagger Wing was found unresponsive late last month
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NEED TO KNOW
- Jagger Wing of Newburgh, Ind., died while staying at a friend’s house on Saturday, May 30, his family says
- The 5-year-old’s cause of death has not yet been determined, local outlet WFIE reported
- Jagger’s parents are looking into whether he had an underlying heart condition due to their family history of “cardiac issues”
An Indiana child died unexpectedly during an overnight stay at a friend’s house late last month, leaving his parents searching for answers, they say.
On Saturday, May 30, Jagger Wing was found unresponsive, NBC affiliate WFIE reported. The 5-year-old was rushed to Gateway Hospital in Newburgh, where he later died, according to an obituary.
“He had played hard outside. He was with his friends. He was staying the night at a friend’s house when it happened,” Jagger’s mom, Alex Wing, told WFIE.
“My best friend of 17 years and I can’t imagine that feeling and situation. I hate that I wasn’t there,” she said.
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“We do have a family history of cardiac issues,” Alex told the news outlet. “I want to just express knowing family histories and genetic testing and how important that can be to prevent anything. We were told that there’s nothing that could have prevented this, but we also don’t even know what happened.”
Jagger’s parents tested their remaining two children for heart conditions and the results have so far come back as normal, according to WFIE.
A GoFundMe set up to support Alex and her husband, Damon, with funeral costs has raised more than $20,000.
“Alex and Damon are facing the unimaginable loss of their beloved 5-year-old son, Jagger, who passed away unexpectedly due to an unknown medical event,” the fundraiser’s description reads. “As their family grieves, they are confronted with overwhelming medical and funeral expenses, as well as the challenge of managing daily life during this heartbreaking time.”
Jagger was due to start kindergarten in August, Alex told WFIE.
“He just learned how to ride a bike. He loved to be active. He loved to question everything we were doing,” she told the news outlet, adding, “He liked to know it all and protect it all. He was definitely a protector of his sisters.”
A funeral will be held for Jagger on Wednesday, June 10, according to his obituary.
