26 February 2023 , 12:37
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A 13-year-old boy has died just days after choking on a meatball during lunch at school - leaving his devastated parents demanding answers.
Josue Chavez Nolasco, a student at Providence Middle School in Chesterfield, Virginia, US, was rushed to hospital on Wednesday morning after suffering a medical emergency at around 11.20am.
A school employee provided medical aid to the boy while they waited for the emergency services who arrived at 11.35am.
They contacted mum Karina Nolasco and informed her Josue had choked on a meatball and was being taken to hospital.
Karina told NBC12: “I was working and I got a call from the school and they told me that my son had an emergency."
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The student was eating lunch at Providence Middle School (Family handout)Karine, along with dad Lee, turned up to the hospital and were initially told Josue went 20 minutes without oxygen to his brain after choking on a meatball.
But further tests showed he went longer without oxygen.
The mum added: “They did blood tests, and the doctor told me the child didn’t have 20 minutes without oxygen to his brain. It was 40 minutes.
“They did a lot of exams to see if he would react, but his brain was swelling too much."
His family have been left devastated (Family handout)Josue died three days later on February 18, following the incident.
Heartbroken Karina told Fox: "My son was a good boy, he did not hurt anyone, and he was well-educated and loving."
The devastated parents are demanding answers from the school as they remain unclear how their son died just three days after.
Headteacher M.J. Rodney informed parents and students of the tragic passing of Josue in a letter.
He wrote: "I am sad to share that we have learned that a 7th grade student, Josue Chavez Nolasco, has passed away.
"His parents shared this with us today and asked that I share this with you.
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"We will keep the family in our thoughts during this difficult time. If this is a discussion that you would like to have with your child in your home tonight, we want to be supportive of the conversation as you talk with your child to reassure and support them as part of the grieving process."
The headteacher added there would be counsellors in place for students who are struggling to come to terms with the tragic passing of Josue.
A GoFundMe page has been set-up for Josue’s memorial which has raised more than $19,000 (£16,000).
Karina said she doesn't blame anyone for the tragic incident but wants answers on how her son died.
She added: “We want to avoid this happening in other schools and that no parents have to go through what we’re going through."