HENDERSON, Ky. (Gray News) – A Kentucky family says their 9-year-old daughter is brain dead after she collapsed during recess on her first day of fourth grade last week.
On August 7, her first day of school at Cairo Elementary in Henderson, Lucy Nash collapsed during recess. Her family reported that her heart stopped for several minutes.
“On the first day of school, Lucy collapsed and suffered a heart attack,” a GoFundMe page states. “Her little brain was without oxygen for many minutes while they tried to save her life.”
Lucy was rushed to a local hospital and then flown to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, where her family says she will never wake up again.
In a public Facebook post by Lucy’s father Ryan Nash on Tuesday, doctors said she was brain dead this week.
“Brain death is not sudden. It is a stretching of time in the vain hope that there might still be something in there somewhere. We have learned that it takes 12 hours for brain death to be determined and more than a day for it to occur,” Nash wrote.
The post continued: “Sunday morning, the doctor who brought my bright, energetic ‘Smart Cookie’ to Riley’s (Children’s Hospital) and worked all night to keep her from falling declared that the swelling and tissue damage that had been increasing by the minute since Wednesday’s break had finally reached an end. Her brain is no longer alive.”
Family and friends started the “Pinkies up 4 Lucy” campaign on social media to honor Lucy’s penchant for painting her nails pink. It quickly evolved into everyone in the community wearing pink for Lucy, WFIE reported.
On Monday, city officials, local business employees, school workers and other community members wore pink in Lucy’s honor.
City officials said commissioners also wore pink ribbons in their honor at Tuesday’s meeting.
Lucy’s family said her body was being prepared for organ donation.
“Over the next few days, Lucy’s body will be examined and cared for, and the organs and tissues she no longer needs will be donated to help as many people as possible,” her father wrote. “If her heart keeps beating, she can do as much good as she can. She always wanted to do good.”
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