High school tennis player dies 8 days after collapsing

A 17-year-old high school tennis player has died eight days after collapsing during a warm-up run in Anaheim last week.

Morgan Wilson, the varsity tennis co-captain at Esperanza High School, was pronounced dead Wednesday at UC Irvine Medical Center after suffering cardiac arrest July 8, KTLA reported.

The student’s parents said they believe their daughter could have been saved had she received CPR “in a timely fashion.”

“Parents should make sure that those entrusted with their children’s care know CPR and are prepared to administer it,” Scott and Debbie Wilson said in a statement.

“Ask whether their schools and athletic facilities have automatic defibrillators on site. Please, do not be afraid to ask,” they urged.

Students at the school gathered in prayer during the days that Morgan was hospitalized after collapsing.

“Praying that Morgan gets over this hurdle,” one friend tweeted Tuesday. “Couldn’t think of anyone who deserves a miracle more. #prayformorgan.”

The Wilsons said their daughter’s body had “decided it was time to go.” They called her a “strong and passionate girl who loved life” and was a role model for others.

“We want to thank everyone for their prayers. The outpouring of support from strangers and those who knew and loved Morgan is overwhelming,” the Wilsons wrote.

Morgan Wilson had registered to be an organ donor without her family’s knowledge, her parents said.

“Like so many things in her life, this reminds us what a generous and selfless soul she has,” her parents wrote, saying they are working to donate their daughter’s organs. “Our hope is that they will save other people’s lives.”

Wilson was on a warm-up run before a private tennis lesson in Anaheim when she collapsed, the Orange County Register reported.

Rescue crews were able to get Wilson’s heart started again after using a defibrillator, but Wilson did not regain consciousness, the school’s women’s tennis booster club president said last week.

She had no known history of heart problems.