(The Epoch Times)—An 18-year-old freshman basketball player collapsed and died on the University of Mobile campus Tuesday morning.
The deceased student has been identified as Kaiden Francis from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
A university statement said students and medical professionals quickly came to the freshman guard’s aid, but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
“Despite the quick and heroic efforts of students and medical professionals, Kaiden never recovered and passed away. Our hearts are heavy as we process this tragedy,” the university’s president, Dr. Charles Smith, said.
The cause of the 6-foot-2 freshman’s death has yet to be disclosed.
Francis was found unresponsive shortly after finishing his weekly skills workout with coaching staff and trainers, despite showing no signs of underlying issues in recent heart and lung evaluations.
Responding to the tragedy, the Alabama university canceled classes Wednesday to allow the community time to grieve and pray.
A campus-wide memorial service was held at 10 a.m., according to the private, Christian-based university.
A scheduled basketball game against Southern University at New Orleans for Wednesday evening was postponed.
Smith said he had the opportunity to watch Francis play recently and that the teen showed extraordinary talent.
“My family and I had the privilege of watching Kaiden play just last week. He was profoundly gifted and clearly loved by his teammates,” Smith said.
“As you can imagine, Kaiden’s family, coaches, and teammates are heartbroken and need our prayers.”
According to recent stats, the University of Mobile Rams basketball team is currently ranked No. 24. In their recent 81–49 victory over No. 20 Life University in Marietta, Georgia, Francis came off the bench to score 10 points, helping the team improve their season record to 6–0 overall and 2–0 in Southern States Athletic Conference play.
In his statement, Smith encouraged students and staff to find comfort in their faith.
“As we walk through this together, I want to encourage you to remember where our help and hope come from,” he said.
“You may recall the first chapel of the semester began with a simple, but profound question: ‘Who is God?’ Psalm 23 reminded us that even in the darkest valleys, we can trust that God is good, God is in control, and God is working all things – including this unspeakable tragedy – together for His glory and the good of His people.”
The university has made counseling services available to students who may need support.
Classes were expected to resume on Thursday.
At Last, a Company With Integrity in the Gold IRA Industry
For several years, I’ve been vetting out precious metals companies in search of the best. I believe in gold and silver but it’s hard to find integrity in the Gold IRA industry. The vast majority operate with shady tactics and gigantic spreads that take advantage of Americans who simply want to protect their life’s savings.
I’ve found a handful that I like and I’ve worked with some of them. By no means would I “unrecommend” them because, again, I vetted them out and found them to be above the fold. Unfortunately, it isn’t hard to be better than the rest when the rest are so darn awful.
After years of searching, I finally found a company that truly operates with integrity. Augusta Precious Metals has three important attributes that set them far above the competition:
- Non-Commissioned Sales Team: I cannot stress how important and unique this is. With just about every other company in the Gold IRA industry, the sales teams make commission from every account they open. This means they steer their clients toward the gold and silver products with the highest commission. With Augusta Precious Metals, the team is solely focused on putting the best gold and silver for their clients into their IRA. They get paid to serve the best interests of the Gold IRA client, NOT their own commission pay.
- Incredibly Low Fees: Most Americans would be shocked if they knew the spread other Gold IRA companies charge. Augusta charges just 5% versus up to 45% elsewhere.
- No Pressure, No Gimmicks: There’s an understanding among most in the Gold IRA industry that fear and pressure is the way to go. Augusta Precious Metals takes a sober approach when working with clients because they hold integrity in the highest possible regard. This is why they don’t offer gimmicks like “free” or “bonus” silver. It’s also why they do not apply pressure tactics to get quick sales. Their educational and transparent approach to doing business is exceedingly rare in the Gold IRA industry.
