Daniel Esparza GoFundMe raises more than $33,000 as Bowie High School student dies in tragedy

On Friday, September 8, 17-year-old Daniel Esparza from Bowie High School in El Paso, Texas, collapsed and lost consciousness while playing drums for his school’s band during a football game. The match was between Bowie High School and Ysleta High School at Baty Simmang Memorial Stadium, also called the Bowie Stadium.

Following the mishap, Daniel Esparza was rushed to the nearby University Medical Center in El Paso. Unfortunately, after struggling for two days, the high school senior died on Sunday, September 10. So far, the reason behind his fainting or demise has not been disclosed.

A fundraiser in the name of Daniel Esparza was started by Georgina Campos, the mother of his fellow bandmate Roberto Campos III. The campaign ran on the GoFundMe website and, so far, has raised nearly $34,000.

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Bowie High School’s Daniel Esparza was the only drum major for the school band

As per the description on the GoFundMe page, Daniel Esparza was a 17-year-old senior studying at Bowie High School. He was a member of the Bowie High School Marching Band. In fact, he was the band’s sole drum major who also knew how to play other instruments, including trumpet. In addition, Daniel Esparza was a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and a “well-rounded student.”

Last Friday, during an interschool football match between Bowie High School and Ysleta High School, Daniel was present in the stadium. He was playing drums during the game when he suddenly collapsed and fainted towards the end of the game. Medical personnel who were already at the scene performed CPR on Esparza but failed to bring him back.

This is when the authorities called in the local fire department and the local EMS, who also did CPR, followed by defibrillation. He was then immediately rushed to the University Medical Center of El Paso. Tragically, the high school senior succumbed on Sunday.

Meanwhile, following the medical emergency, Georgina Campos, the mother of Bowie Band Director Roberto Campos III, began a fundraiser on GuFundMe to support the family with the medical expenses.

The fundraiser is still open, and all donations are meant to help Daniel’s family with funeral bills and other financial burdens during the crisis. At the time of writing, it has raised $33,995 from 672 donors. The first donation of $50 came from Patricia and Hector Avila, while the Eastwood Football Booster Club made the highest donation of $ 1,000.

Band director and Georgina’s son Roberto told Yahoo! Sports that his fellow bandmate was a “wonderful kid” with a passion for music. He also said that everybody would miss Daniel, who was full of life and enjoyed being part of the family, friend circle, and school.

“We always enjoyed being around Daniel, he was a positive influence on others, and he was a great friend. In honor of him, we will continue to perform, we will continue to be the best we can be. That's what he would have wanted."

Liana Armijo, an athletic trainer who helped with Daniel’s CPR during the match and was associated with Ysleta School District, told KFOX that the entire incident was scary, chaotic, and heartbreaking. She also suspected that heat may have contributed to the tragedy, besides other underlying medical conditions.

On Monday, September 11, the El Paso Independent School District issued a Facebook statement about Daniel’s unfortunate and untimely passing. They stated how they were by the side of Esparza’s family in this trying time. They also promised any support necessary while saying that they have a team of counselors on standby to help the students and staff of Bowie High School seek help.

As per KVIA, Daniel Esparza’s memorial service will take place on Thursday, September 14, followed by the burial on Friday.