Owen Coyne, a 17-year-old athlete at Marblehead High School in Massachusetts, has died after suffering a brain hemorrhage, his family announced.
Coyne’s mother, Angela Paradise, said her son began having severe headaches after Marblehead’s first football game of the season on September 10. He spent two weeks in the hospital before dying on Thursday. Paradise was clear that the headaches, though they started after the game, were not caused by a hit he took during it. Doctors told her Owen died from an anomaly in his brain.
“It is with profound sadness and indescribable grief that we share that Owen passed away after a sudden brain hemorrhage,” Paradise told the Marblehead Current. “Owen (Owie to his family, OC to his friends, teammates, and coaches) was the sweetest soul you’ll ever meet — truly a gift!”
Paradise said Owen was a registered organ donor and that several of his organs will now go to save other people’s lives.
“His life was not wasted; he was a gift to us, and he was a gift to Marblehead, but now he’s been able to take his life and gift it to others,” she said.
Marblehead Public Schools Superintendent John J. Robidoux addressed the community following Owen’s death.
“This is a sad day for our Marblehead community, and we ask that you send positive thoughts and prayers to the Coyne family and Owen’s friends during this difficult time,” Robidoux said.
The school canceled its football game on Saturday to mourn the loss of their teammate.
Paradise described the support the family has received from the Marblehead community in the days since Owen’s death.
“It means the world because for the rest of our lives and for the rest of our kids’ lives, we’re going to need that support,” Paradise said. “Owen loved it here, and it’s no surprise that Marblehead loves him right back during these nightmarish days for our family.”
