Note: This note is being republished from its original news coverage in January 2016.
Josh Gray, a 17-year-old student at Dawson High School in Texas who enjoyed traveling and golfing, visited the school nurse due to a stomach ache.
Tragically, just two hours later, he passed away, according to reports from KHOU.
Doctors revealed that a rupture in the artery supplying blood to Josh’s pancreas led to a severe internal bleed that they could not control.
They mentioned that there was no way to predict this unfortunate event.
Josh’s mother, Laurie Gray, shared with KHOU, “He went from having a regular, happy day at school to suddenly having a stomach ache, and within two hours, he was gone.”
In the wake of this sudden loss, Josh’s family and friends launched an online fundraiser to cover the expenses related to his death and to support research into rare diseases.
The GoFundMe campaign has successfully raised over $34,000, exceeding its initial goal of $30,000.
Austin Hurst, a friend of Josh, reflected on his personality, saying, “Josh accepted everyone for who they were. I’m loud and obnoxious, and he embraced that. He loved us all just as we were, and that was the best thing about being around him—you could be yourself.”
Josh’s friends are planning to honor his memory by going on the mission trip he had intended to take that summer.
As Seth Blunt, another friend, expressed, “We all loved Josh. He was a significant part of our lives, and his memory continues to connect us.”
Sources: KHOU, GoFundMe
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