St. Charles 7th Grader Dies After Falling Ill at Cross-Country Meet

Photo credit: Thompson Middle School Facebook page

A 7th grade student at Thompson Middle School died Wednesday morning after he became sick at a cross-country meet a day earlier, the Daily Herald reports.

School officials said Cameron Pepera, 13, died as a result of an undetected, pre-existing medical condition. He was competing at a cross-country meet Tuesday when he began to suffer from what appeared be a seizure, according to the newspaper. He was taken to Delnor Hospital but then rerouted to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield.

He ended up at Lurie’s Children Hospital in Chicago where he died Wednesday, according to the Daily Herald.

Cameron has suffered from seizures in the past, schools officials and Cameron’s father told the Chicago Tribune. A cause of death has not yet been determined.

Cameron had just joined the cross-country team this year, Kevin Pepera, Cameron’s father, told the newspaper. He is remembered for his love for sports, his favorite teams were the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Blackhawks; and for being a joyful child with a voluminous grin.

Thompson Students Create Memorial at Cameron’s Locker

As students at Thompson Middle School dealt with the tragic loss of their young friend this past week, they started a makeshift memorial at his locker. They began sticking different colored Post-It notes to the locker with messages such as ”We will miss him” and “#CamStrong,” according to the Kane County Chronicle.

“Right now his locker is completely engulfed in sticky notes of love and respect and kindness,” Thompson Principal Tim Loversky told the newspaper. “It’s been a neat tribute the students have created on their own.”