Last Thursday afternoon, 8-year-old Caleb Ray went to school, came home to do his homework, changed into his soccer uniform and headed to his first practice of the season. Just a few hours later, he collapsed and died on the field.
Caleb’s mother, Kristy Ray, of Ranger, West Virginia, says that the autopsy will take six to eight weeks but they believe their son died from cardiac arrest.
It was just after practice when Caleb — whose 4-year-old sister Maggie was also nearby playing soccer — ran back onto the field to kick the ball around.
“He told his friend Alex that he couldn’t chase him anymore and that his stomach hurt. He sat down on his ball and then my husband walked out,” Kristy, 40, tells PEOPLE, adding that his symptoms quickly took a turn for the worse. “He said, ‘Daddy, I can’t see, I can’t see.’ He collapsed and started convulsing.”