A footballer collapsed and died during a training session at Skinner Park, San Fernando, on Friday.
Marcus Lawrence, 20, a midfielder had just scored a goal when he fell to the ground, around 6.15 p.m.
His brother, Marli Henry, said, “His teammates thought he was celebrating as he scored the goal because that is what he usually does. But when they looked at him, his eye was turned up and his body was twitching.”
Lawrence, a member of Club Sando, was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was pursuing a welding and fabricating course at the National Energy Skills Centre (NESC).
He lived with his mother, Marlene Nelson, and two younger siblings in Southern Main Road, La Romain.
His aunt, Charmaine Nelson-James, yesterday said Lawrence was the sunshine in their family.
She said her nephew never complained of feeling unwell and had no medical ailments.
“He was never sick, never had chest pains. He was in good health. He never had any illnesses. He was always full of life. He was ambitious, hard-working, loving, helpful and respectful to everyone,” she said.
Nelson-James said her nephew had a passion for football and basketball.
“He loved basketball, but his passion was football. He wanted to excel at this sport and he knew it would take him places. He really wanted to go to the United States,” she said.
Lawrence also played with the La Romain Jet Stars in the Hoop of Life competition last year, she said.
Nelson-James said Lawrence had a special bond with his mother and wanted to give her a comfortable life.
She said he attended the Revival Tabernacle in La Romain and always advised his friends to turn to God.
“He had a passion for God. And he loved his family. He was the sunshine in our life,” she said.
Lawrence’s body was removed to the San Fernando mortuary where an autopsy will be performed.
Investigators said no foul play was suspected in Lawrence’s death.
RELATED NEWS
Lawrence dies while playing football.
T&T Guardian Reports.
Budding Club Sando footballer Marcus Lawrence, who collapsed after scoring a goal during football practice on Friday, died from heart valve failure.
Yesterday, pathologist Dr Herbert Daisley, who performed the autopsy on the 21-year-old La Romaine resident at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) mortuary, concluded that Lawrence suffered mitral valve incompetence, acute left ventricular failure and ruptured aortic arch dissection. The footballer, according to the autopsy, also suffered from chronic mitral valve disease.
This, the doctor told relatives, meant that the valves in Lawrence’s heart failed while he was playing football and it was not able to pump blood out of the heart.
On Friday, Lawrence was playing football at Skinner Park, San Fernando, on his club’s home ground when he collapsed shortly after scoring a goal around 6.15 pm. He was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital where doctors attempted to resuscitate him. However, they were unsuccessful. Lawrence died shortly after.
Yesterday, Lawrence’s mother Marlene Nelson, 49, speaking with the T&T Guardian outside the San Fernando Mortuary, said her son trained with Club Sando on evenings, had no medical problems.
Nelson said she could not understand how her son died. She recounted her last conversation with her son on Friday morning and sobbed that he was happy.
“I see him that morning, I was going to work. He ask me if I going to work and I said ‘Yes.’ He touched my hand and said ‘Mommy I will see you later ok.’ I did not know that was the last time I would see him, I would see my precious son,” she sobbed, as her sister held her.
Nelson said her son liked football and enjoyed celebrating and when he scores, he would drop to the ground in celebrations.
When he dropped to the ground after scoring on Friday, his team-mates knew something was wrong because he did not get up. “They said when they check him on the ground his eyes turn upward. The coach said he called the EHS ambulance, but it never came. Lawrence was then placed in the tray of a van and taken to the hospital.
I just get home from work when the hospital call me and ask me if I was Marcus’ mother and the person told me I have to come to the hospital. I asked why and the person said it cannot be discuss over the phone,” Nelson said.
Nelson said when she met the doctor at SFGH she asked her to sit.
“She tell me she was so sorry, they did everything to resuscitate him but there was nothing they could do and that he passed away. I do not know what happened after that. Ten minutes after I went and I hold my son, I see my son lying on a stretcher and I could not do anything,” Nelson sobbed as she broke down in tears.
She was comforted by her sister Charmaine Nelson-James as she screamed, “My son, my son. My loving son. Why Lord, why?”
Funeral arrangements for Lawrence are yet to be finalised.