UPDATE: Sacred Heart Student Who Passed After Pancake-Eating Contest Volunteered in Sandy Hook
We received an update from Fox News regarding the Sacred Heart student who passed away over the weekend, whom we reported about yesterday, following the campus candlelight vigil Sunday evening.
21-year-old Caitlin Nelson passed away in the hospital days after choking as a result of a sorority pancake eating contest for charity, and her family has made the decision to donate her organs.
Fox News says Caitlin was known to be very giving and generous, much like her father, James Nelson, who made the ultimate sacrifice and lost his life in the September 11 terror attacks of 2001. He was a member of New York's Port Authority Police Department.
According to the New York Post, the family is following her wish and having her organs donated to help others. Port Authority Police Benevolent Association Spokesperson, Robert Egbert, was quoted in the Post as saying:
Like her father, right up until the end she was giving of herself, and proof of that is her organs are all being donated.
Her LinkedIn page says Caitlin was certified in youth mental health first aid. She volunteered at the Resiliency Center of Newtown, which offers healing to those affected by the tragic events of the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. She was known for her volunteer work with that, and many other charities according to Fox News.
Again, our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this sad moment in time.