UPDATED AS OF 11 A.M. JAN. 25
A talented young Tsawwassen baseball player, beloved by his coaches, teammates, friends and family, has died following a serious head injury.
Kyle Losse, 14, a popular Grade 8 student at South Delta Secondary, was taken off life support at BC Children’s Hospital Tuesday afternoon.
The BC Coroner’s Service is investigating to determine the exact cause of death.
Kyle’s stepmom Niki spoke with the Optimist Thursday morning. She said Sunday night she and her husband Brian were in bed when they heard a loud crash and found Kyle on the bathroom floor.
“He did have a vape pen beside him. At that point he was not really responding to us and sweating profusely, so we carried him to the car and rushed off to Delta Hospital,” said Niki.
Niki said staff helped get him into the hospital where the parents explained the situation and the possibility that he might have hit his head.
“They tested his blood to find out if anything had been in the vape and everything came back negative for all major drugs, including fentanyl, and they were just unsure if he was having a negative reaction,” she said. “They monitored him for eight hours, but I don’t feel his condition was getting any better. He said his head hurt and he was in and out of consciousness.”
Staff released Kyle, telling the parents he was to rest at home for two days and to bring him back on Wednesday for further blood work.
But Niki said when they got home, Kyle was still complaining of a sore head and was in and out of consciousness all Monday morning. Niki called the hospital again to talk with the doctor who was in charge of their case.
“The nurse said the doctor had gone home and that she didn’t have his chart in front of her, but you can do what you want to do,” recalled Niki. “I really didn’t know what to do, but by 1 p.m. I felt his condition was getting worse, so I called 911 and that’s when the first responders came and rushed us to BC Children’s Hospital.
“They performed X-rays and CT scans and everything I feel that should have been done at Delta. The doctor at Children’s explained that something had happened to his entire brain and she couldn’t explain how this could have happened so that’s why an autopsy has to be performed.”
Fraser Health spokesperson Tasleem Juma said the health authority has reached out to the family to extend sympathies and explain the plans to review Kyle’s care.
“Our deepest sympathy goes out to this family. We performed both toxicological and neurological tests and kept the patient for an extended observation period to which he started to improve,” said Juma. “The patient was neurologically stable when he was discharged with no indication of any outstanding issues.”
The sudden loss is being felt by many in the Tsawwassen community.
A Gofundme page was set up (https://www.gofundme.com/rip-kyle-losse) to help support the family and by Thursday morning more than $11,000 had been donated.
The family also set up a Remembering Kyle Losse Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1200392363430011/) where there has been an outpouring of condolences, prayers, well wishes and memories of the popular South Delta youth.
“It’s so overwhelming,” said Niki. “You always know that we live in a small town and everyone knows each other. Just people saying I didn’t know your son, but my kids did. So many good stories are coming out, it’s just such a blessing. For the years that he was on this earth so many people loved him.”
A celebration of life will be held this Sunday at noon at Winskill Park. Everyone is welcome and asked to come dressed in their best baseball attire.
Kyle played for the Delta Tigers and was training hard in preparation for his first full season with the AAA Bantam squad.
Tigers head coach Cam Frick said the team is in shock.
“For many of the kids it’s a situation that they have never gone through and as coaches it’s a situation that I could never imagine having to deal with,” Frick said. “Kyle was serious about baseball. He was passionate, always there with a smile on his face, working hard, trying to get better. His teammates and coaches loved that about him. The second he stepped on the field people knew who he was.
“We all loved his passion, his skill, his smile, his hair – he had this big curly blond afro – he was noticeable. His teammates loved him, his coaches loved him.”
Last summer Kyle played for the Tsawwassen Athletics, and was one of three Delta players on the B.C. Baseball Selects team that competed at the 13U Triple Crown’s Tri-Cities Slugfest south of the border.
The Athletics were also crowned B.C. Baseball’s 13U Pee Wee AA provincial champions last year after a thrilling final in Campbell River.
SDSS principal Terry Ainge said the Delta School District provided additional counselling all week for the students and staff as they try to process the loss.
“The district has been fantastic. We have had additional staff on hand to support students in the counselling centre, so that has been really appreciated,” said Ainge. “Our students are supporting each other. I’m really impressed by that. In difficult situations the community rallies and we are certainly seeing that.”
Ainge said Kyle was a beautiful kid and incredibly likeable.
“He had a very positive energy that attracted others. Very sociable. Teachers knew him to be kind, respectful and polite,” added Ainge. “Kyle had a lot of empathy himself. He was able to see things from the perspective of others. There was a maturity about him that was really evident.”
Kyle is survived by his stepmom Niki, biological dad Brian Losse, his brother Tyler, 7, sister Vada, 6, brother Joshua, 15, and his biological mom Jamie Palidwar.
