Through philanthropy, loved ones make sure legacy of teen football player Carter Stone will live on

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Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Be Like Carter: Agoura community remembers Carter Stone
'Be Like Carter Stone Memorial Scholarship" was presented at Agoura High School as a tribute to student athlete who unexpectedly died last summer.

AGOURA (KABC) -- Loved-ones are making sure the legacy of a teen football player, whose life was cut short, will live on.

It's a death that left family, friends and teammates in shock: a 15-year old high school freshman and football player loses his life following complications from shoulder surgery. Now his loved-ones are making sure his legacy lives on by establishing a new scholarship.

The "Be Like Carter Stone Memorial Scholarship" was presented at Agoura High School as a tribute to Stone... who died in August. Relatives say he went into cardiac arrest and that doctors found a tumor on his heart, likely related to an undiagnosed case of T-cell

Leukemia. He was just 15.

"Carter was scheduled for a routine surgery and he didn't wake up-despite interventions," said Dr. Stephanie McClay, Principal, Agoura High School. "He was taken to Children's Hospital in LA. They discovered that he had a pre-existing medical condition that they were unaware of and ultimately that was the contributing factor to his death."

California Strong and Pro Active Sports Performance Gym co-created the endowment. Carter's mother Danielle shared her support for the scholarship while honoring her son. $500 scholarships will be given to at least one male athlete and one female athlete, three times a year. They'll get physical and nutritional training, and support from athletes at Pro Active Sports Performance. Ryan Braun serves as one of the mentors for 'Be Like Carter' scholarship recipients.

"Heartbreaking, tragic story," said Braun. "We are just trying to do our part to support the family, most importantly and bring the community together to show love."

A scholarship reminding the community to live the life Carter could not fulfill-one of humility, hard work and kindness.