North Texas family asks for help to fund funeral for teen son taken off life support
A North Texas family is seeking help to raise funds for the funeral of their 16-year-old son and brother, who was on life support at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth after a suspected drug overdose.
Fort Worth police responded to the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program school on Sanguinet Street at about 9 a.m. Monday regarding a teenage boy who had possibly overdosed on a school bus and was not breathing.
Medical personnel determined 16-year-old Daniel Tamayo’s heart was not pumping for a long time, Cook Children’s spokesperson Laura Van Hoosier told the Star-Telegram in a statement Friday. Tamayo was first taken to another hospital before being transferred to Cook Children’s.
“Despite valiant efforts from both EMS, the medical teams at the first hospital, and our (Cook Children’s) medical team, he suffered an irreversible brain injury due to lack of oxygen to the brain,” Hoosier said.
At the Tamayo family’s request, Cook Children’s medical personnel sought a second opinion from another pediatric facility, which confirmed the hospital’s conclusion that Daniel suffered a brain injury from which he could not recover, according to Hoosier.
Cook Children’s said it conducted two standard brain death tests that followed medical and ethical guidelines. The tests confirmed brain death, after which Daniel was pronounced dead according to Texas law, Hoosier said in the statement.
A GoFundMe was organized Friday by a family member, Nayely Tamayo, to cover costs for a celebration of life for Daniel.
“The memory of the funny, goofy, but very caring person that he showed everyone to be will always make his family very proud of him,” Nayely wrote on the fundraiser site. “Regardless of the reason that landed him in this position does not take away from the amazing soul that he will forever be.”
Despite the tests showing brain death, the Tamayo family initially declined to remove Daniel from life support because they believed he could still recover and needed more time.
Johana Sosa created a petition on MoveOn.org, which collected over 30,000 signatures. Sosa wrote that the hospital wanted to remove Daniel from life support machines on Wednesday.
“Doctors say there isn’t anything they can do we know he’ll wake up but needs more time we’re hoping to get y’all’s help and keep Daniel connected,” Sosa wrote. “Daniel is young sweet loving boy that deserves to have a chance and needs us to work together to help keep him connected.”
In a video posted on TikTok on Thursday, Daniel’s sister Viviana Gutierrez said that the hospital was “not listening” when the Tamayo family declined removing him from life support. She asked for people to sign and share the petition.
“Let’s fight for my little brother and show him we can all unite and help him keep fighting,” Gutierrez said in her post, in which she also wrote, “My family and I believe in a Lord who does Miracles and hears our prayers.”
Out of a $40,000 goal, the GoFundMe had raised about $1,150 as of Friday night.
Fort Worth police said their investigation of the possible overdose is ongoing and have not said what drug might have been involved. No criminal charges have been announced.
“Our hearts hurt for the loss of this young man, and the Tamayo family remains in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time,” Cook Children’s hospital said in its statement.
Staff writer Harriet Ramos contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 5, 2024 at 6:17 PM.
