Lexington family seeks justice for the unexpected death of their 17-year-old son
A Lexington teenager unexpectedly died last week after an incident at his high school, leaving his family mourning and seeking answers over Mother’s Day weekend.
Seventeen-year-old Emmanuel Emeka was pronounced dead at the University of Kentucky hospital on Friday, following a seizure he suffered during class. His mother, Irene Mwele, described the heart-wrenching scene she encountered upon arrival: "I just saw a lot of doctors around him trying to save him and a lot of police officers."
Emmanuel’s 9-year-old brother, Fabien Iyeli, expressed his grief, saying, "My heart's like, it's almost like he was never really alive. He was my best friend." Emmanuel’s 14-year-old sister, Ndaya Emeka, added, "I thought they were lying, but then when I came in here, I saw everybody crying, so then I started crying."
Modoul Danso, Emmanuel’s best friend, shared his sorrow, stating, "It hurts. It still hurts. Even being in his house or just in my house because he is just there. Nothing feels the same like it used to. He played a big part in all of our lives. We just miss him. It doesn’t feel the same anymore."
Irene never imagined that morning would be the last time she kissed her son goodbye. According to witnesses, an alleged fight broke out at Henry Clay High School in Lexington, somehow involving Emmanuel. After the fight was broken up, one of the kids hit him on the back of the head, and then everyone was sent back to class. Sometime later, Emmanuel suffered a seizure and was rushed to the hospital, where he died.
"The school is like a second family to him, so they are supposed to take responsibility when I'm not around," Irene explained. "She wants to have that communication with them so they can tell her what happened exactly with her son."
Fayette County Public Schools claims no fight broke out and that Emmanuel suffered a medical emergency. Irene said the last call she received from the school was at 10:55 a.m. informing her of an emergency. Since then, the school has not contacted her to check on Emmanuel or explain what happened. She feels the school neglected her son and wants closure.
"He was never sick; he was an energized person," Modoul said solemnly. "Always had a smile on his face. Kind to everybody. Always moving around. Never had signs of any sickness or anything like that."
Ndaya recalled, "He was the best brother. If I needed help with something, he would help me. If my mood changed, he would know before anybody else and if I needed help with school stuff, he would do it."
Fabien added, "If I was having a bad mood, he would talk to me. He was like my sibling therapist. He would comfort me sometimes."
His family described Emmanuel as an honest person with a big heart who always sacrificed for others. He was set to graduate in two weeks and had been accepted into Elizabeth Community and Technical College, with big plans for the future.
"He had his paper; he was accepted into the college. He was talking about the college, how happy and excited he was to leave high school and start a new life," Modoul said.
When asked about Emmanuel's best piece of advice, Ndaya recalled, "It's okay to fail; just take another step forward."
EMS Captain Tom Work with the Lexington Fire Department advised paying close attention to symptoms of traumatic brain injury, such as nausea, vomiting, headache, lethargy, dizziness, and repetitive questions. "You must seek help immediately," he said.
Work also emphasized that any head injury, no matter how minor it seems, should be checked thoroughly at a hospital to ensure safety.
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