Jake West was a 17-year-old who grew up in La Porte, Indiana, not far from Lake Michigan. His mother, Julie West, remembers him fondly.
“He was just kind and he brought other people in,” West said. “He was a type of kid that if someone wasn't included, he was going to make sure that child was inc
Across the country, millions watched in shock as NFLs Damar Hamlin went into sudden cardiac arrest on live TV earlier this year. His life was saved. And many credit that to a quick response plan and a machine called an AED. Indiana lawmakers are considering legislation to require AEDs in schools, but mandating these devices is a complicated decision.
Gallery: Jake West tribute
Football players and fans from all over the region honored the memory of Jake West, the LaPorte football player who died during practice Wednesday night. 1 of 19
LaPorte players, from left, Mike Ash, Drew Kessler, Noah Boardman and John Shuble bring the jersey of Jake West to the coin toss before the game against Merrillville. West, 17, died in September after collapsing at football practice. Michael McArdle, The Times
LaPorte head coach Bob Schellinger, along with players and the gathered crowd, observes a moment of silence for his player, Jake West, before the game against Merrillville. West, a junior, died during practice Wednesday night.
Credit Lauren Chapman / IPB News An effort to prevent the sudden death of student athletes is making progress in the Indiana General Assembly. Parents of children who have died after suddenly collapsing are pressing for a law that offers more protections for kids participating in physically demanding activities at school.
LaPorte parent Julie West s son died suddenly after collapsing on a football field in 2013 because of an unknown heart condition.
She says before his death, she didn t know about the risks of sudden cardiac arrest; her son passed every physical. I thought the thing that I would have to worry about was him getting his driver s license, not the fact that his heart was in the condition that it was, she said.