Nationwide — Dominic McClair, an 18-year-old African American teen from Virginia Beach, Virginia, died suddenly the day before his high school graduation. His family said doctors later confirmed he suffered cardiac arrest, with no warning signs beforehand.
The loss came after a difficult stretch for the family. In the year before Dominic’s death, his uncle died, and around the same period, his nephew drowned, adding to the grief at home.
Despite everything, Dominic stayed focused on school. His mother, Rashita, said he kept good grades, stayed out of trouble, and planned to attend trade school after graduation. He looked forward to receiving his diploma and walking at the ceremony.
According to WAVY, on June 11, the day before graduation, a cousin was scheduled to visit to cut his hair for the big day. Rashita went to check on him in his bedroom and found him lying down with headphones on and the TV still playing.
She said she tried calling his name, but he did not respond. His sister, Sierra Wilson, checked his pulse and found that he still had one as the family quickly tried to reach emergency services.
Rashita said getting through to 911 took repeated attempts. “They just kept saying it was busy,” she recalled. “So then my daughter ended up finally getting them on the phone, and she’s telling them … and the lady’s just asking questions, and I’m like, ‘Can you please just get here, we’ve already been trying to call, my son’s not moving…’”
Paramedics arrived a few minutes later and worked to stabilize Dominic at home before rushing him to the hospital. Doctors later told the family he did not survive. Wilson said there were no signs of illness before the incident and described it as completely unexpected.
At the graduation ceremony, Dominic’s family attended in his place. His name was called, and his counselor presented his diploma to the grieving family during the event.
The family has launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs. It has so far raised over $12,000.