‘Super healthy’ 19-year-old Appalachian State student dies from COVID-19, family says
A former high school basketball star from central North Carolina and current Appalachian State University student died due to complications from the coronavirus, his parents and former team said in a statement Monday.
Chad Dorrill, from Thomasville, was 19 years old.
“As our family suffers this incredible loss, we want to remind people to wear a mask and quarantine if you test positive even without symptoms, you have no idea who you can come into contact with that the virus affects differently,” his mother Susan Dorrill said in a statement on social media that has since been made private.
Chad Dorrill graduated in 2019 from Ledford High School, which is about an hour northeast of Charlotte on Interstate 85, Davidson County Schools Superintendent Emily Lipe said in a statement provided to Fox 8. He was reportedly studying to become a physical therapist at App State.
App State Chancellor Sheri Everts confirmed the news in a letter to students and faculty Tuesday.
“The hearts of the entire Appalachian Community are with Chad’s family and loved ones during this profoundly difficult and painful time,” she said. “Tributes shared by friends and loved ones show the positive impact Chad had on the communities he loved and called home, which included App State and Boone.”
Dorrill did not live on campus and attended classes online, Everts said in the letter. He reportedly started feeling sick in early September.
‘Wear your mask’
Dorrill tested positive for the coronavirus at home in Davidson County, according to the chancellor’s letter.
Davidson County’s COVID-19 dashboard shows there were 141 active COVID-19 cases as of Sept. 29 and 36 deaths.
Susan Dorrill said her son was “just incredibly tired for two weeks” in a now-private statement shared on Facebook by his former travel basketball team, the Piedmont Pacers.
“Little did we know (the virus) was secretly attacking his body in a way they have never seen before,” she said.
Dorrill remained in isolation at home “and was cleared by his doctor to return to Boone,” according to Everts’ letter. But additional complications arose after his return, and Dorrill was hospitalized.
On Sept. 26, Tonia Maxcy shared a message on Twitter on behalf of the Dorrill family, saying “Susan asks that you speak Chad’s name in prayer.”
“Heavenly Father, please lay your hands on Chad,” the tweet states. “Turn this path from dark to light. Stop the swelling in his brain tonight and help him recover, fully: mind, body, and spirit. Let him live. In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.”
Two days later, Maxcy said the family was asking for a special prayer for Dorrill at 8 p.m. as they “release him to join our heavenly father this evening.”
“Let us learn from his example, the importance of showing love and kindness, even when it is not easy to do so,” Maxcy said on Twitter. “Remember the lessons his mother urges: wear your mask and quarantine if you test positive. Chad is our WHY.”
The doctors reportedly said Dorrill’s was “the rarest” of COVID-19 cases.
“If it can happen to a super healthy 19-year old boy who doesn’t smoke, vape or do drugs, it can happen to anyone,” the family said in a statement after his death.
Friends mourn loss
According to the Piedmont Pacers, Dorrill and his family moved from Wisconsin to North Carolina in 2013.
“His quiet, soft spoken demeanor belied a fierce competitor on the basketball court whose relentless hustle and shooting prowess helped win many games for the Pacers,” the team said in a statement on Facebook that’s since been made private.
He was also “beloved by all of his teammates and coaches,” and his parents were a “constant presence” at games, according to the statement.
“This awful disease has taken this young man from everyone far too soon,” the team said, later adding, “We are all better for having known you.”
Sydney Bell, who went to prom with Dorrill in high school and also attends Appalachian State, told The Watauga Democrat that Dorrill was “the most selfless, most kind person you’ll ever meet.”
Another App State student, Kaylie Stadler, described him as “caring, hard working and genuine” in an interview with the newspaper. She said one of her fondest memories of him happened after she adopted a kitten.
“Chad showed up at my apartment with a bag of toys for her,” Stadler said, according to The Watauga Democrat. “He was just that kind of person. He gave without expecting anything in return.”
Others remembered Dorrill on Twitter as “the kindest person” and a role model. They said his death should serve as a reminder to be vigilant.
COVID-19 cases skew younger
A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released last week found “the median age of those infected with the virus has skewed younger in recent months,” McClatchy News reported. More than 20% of new cases between June and August were found in adults ages 20 to 29.
The study also suggested people in their 20s are “a major driver of community spread,” according to McClatchy News.
While important metrics such as the percentage of positive test results and new daily cases have tapered off in North Carolina, state health officials are reporting a higher number of cases among people between ages 18 and 24.
Data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services shows cases in that age range nearly doubled from 9% early in the pandemic to 16% in September, McClatchy News reported.
Many of those cases are on college campuses.
Appalachian State, where Dorrill was studying, reported 159 current active cases among students as of Sept. 29, according to its COVID-19 dashboard. More than 560 coronavirus cases have been recorded on campus since March.
The university has not said it will switch to remote learning or pause classes after Dorrill’s death.
In her letter Tuesday, the chancellor said college students are generally “at a lower risk for severe illness” but conceded the university has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases among students. Everts said students should “honor Chad and his contributions by taking care of ourselves and our community,” including wearing wearing face coverings, keeping six feet of distance and washing hands frequently.
Some students are sharing memories of Dorrill by saying “I wear my mask for Chad,” she said.
“His family’s wishes are for the university to share a common call to action so our entire campus community recognizes the importance of following COVID-19 safety protocols and guidelines,” the letter states.
UNC-System Chancellor Peter Hans reiterated the family’s message to take safety precautions in a statement Tuesday, saying, “We have a heightened duty to one another in these extraordinarily trying times.”
“Any loss of life is a tragedy, but the grief cuts especially deep as we mourn a young man who had so much life ahead,” he said. “I ache for the profound sadness that Chad Dorrill’s family is enduring right now. My heart goes out to the entire Appalachian State community.”
This story was originally published September 29, 2020 at 1:56 PM with the headline "‘Super healthy’ 19-year-old Appalachian State student dies from COVID-19, family says."
