It's been one year since Windsor football player Elijah Jay Mariano Rivera collapsed and died during a Windsor High School football practice. He would have been a senior for the football team this year.
The community honored him Thursday night in the town, and his father spoke Friday on the legacy he leaves behind.
Jay Rivera remembers “Eli,” as he was affectionately called, as a loving and hardworking son. He noted the last year has been hard and full of waves of emotions. But in the last year, the family has learned a lot, and they are looking forward to the legacy Eli leaves behind.
“Eli was a gentle giant he was the big just biggest smile you could see,” said Jay Rivera.
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We met up with him at a Windsor football practice Friday night. October 10, 2023 was a day he would remember forever. Eli collapsed during practice and died.
“It took several months for the report from the medical examiner to come back,” Rivera said.
When the autopsy came back, the family learned Eli had an enlarged heart and died from sudden cardiac arrest. They were shocked, never suspecting anything was impacting Eli.
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“They call it the silent killer because it is just that,” said Rivera.
The football team, along with the school district, and community held a small vigil for Eli Thursday at the football field where the school community and broader community, along with the football team could honor Eli. The head football coach was proud of how the community showed up.
“I still think about it every day,” Coach Rob Fleeting said.
He noted Eli still impacts and inspires the team. He believes he has grown as a coach in how he communicates, works with, and spends time with his players.
He insists Windsor football will continue to honor Eli’s family, because it’s the least the program can do.
“Help his legacy live on,” said Coach Fleeting.
It’s a legacy Jay has spent the last year thinking about. It all came to a head Thursday night when he saw with his own eyes the impact Eli continues to have on the community.
“Remember who he was, and also put a stamp on what we are going to do going forward what his legacy is going to be,” said Rivera.
Jay said he has been working with the school district and local non-profit out of Wallingford, “In a Heartbeat”, to create “EKGs for Eli.” It's a program coming to Windsor described as a free heart screening for student athletes ages 8-18, set for November 19.
“It’s not the end all, that’s just the first step though,” said Rivera.
If something is discovered to be irregular, doctors can take over to work with and protect student athletes from a similar incident to Eli’s.
According to Rivera, if something irregular is discovered, it increases the likelihood insurance would cover the cost of follow ups because it involves a discovered underlying condition.
He believes this is the first part of an ever-growing legacy for number 65.
“Just try to help protect kids and see if we can prevent these types of things happen as much as we could,” said Rivera.
Rivera believes there could be room for legislation around access for students and student athletes for EKG screenings, or more action to take around adolescent cardiovascular health, but for now, he wants to continue to spread Eli’s story so parents and coaches can learn more and potentially save a life.
