NEED TO KNOWAn Ohio high school baseball player died after experiencing a "severe medical emergency"
Maddox Graser, 17, died on Friday, April 24, Wooster High School officials said
Graser was known for his generous spirit and care for others, his family said
An Ohio community is remembering a talented 17-year-old high school baseball player who “would do anything for anybody.”Maddox Graser, a sophomore at Wooster High School, died on Friday, April 24 after experiencing a “severe medical emergency” days earlier, the school said in a statement.“Maddox was an outstanding student, athlete and friend, and he will be deeply missed in our building,” the school’s Facebook post reads.On Monday, April 27, friends and family members lined the halls of Akron Children’s Hospital to honor Graser, who donated his organs, in a “Walk of Honor,” according to Cleveland Fox affiliate WJW-TV.
"He would do anything for anybody,” family friend Mark Mattingly told Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC-TV. “He would give the shirt off his back. He just didn't deserve what had happened. We just will live his name on in honor."Peyton Ivers shared that his friend “always checked up on people if he noticed you were down.”Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE's free sports newsletter — sign up now!
“It hit a lot of us really hard,” Ivers said. “It’s a very tragic loss, especially because he was loved by many.”In a GoFundMe, family members shared that Graser fell ill hours after a game.“He played in a game, celebrated a big win, and everything seemed completely normal,” organizer Angela Hall wrote. “No one could have imagined how quickly everything would change. His family went from watching him play baseball to sitting beside his hospital bed in a matter of hours.”
In his obituary, Graser, who was also on the school’s wrestling team, was remembered for being “all boy.”“He loved baseball, wrestling, fishing, gaming, derby cars and dirt bikes,” the obituary reads. “He will be remembered fondly for his hardworking spirit, fierce competitiveness, and a heart that put him in a league of his own. He always had a joke to tell, laughter to share, and he cared deeply about his family and friends.” A funeral service is scheduled for Saturday, May 2 in Wooster.