Thomas Jakelich’s final moments were spent doing what he loved most – playing soccer with his friends.
The 16-year-old sophomore, who went to the ritzy Loyola High School on the Upper East Side, died Monday night hours after an on-field collision during a varsity soccer match against the United Nations International School.
“He was doing the thing he loved very much,” his tearful stepfather, Rick Newman, said.
Newman received a call from Loyola officials around 4:20 p.m. saying that Jakelich had been injured during an attempt to score and was on his way to Harlem Hospital Center.
Jakelich was conscious on the ambulance ride to the emergency room, complaining of a pain in his side. He underwent numerous surgeries before doctors pronounced him dead around 11 p.m.
“The doctors were very good,” Newman said, adding that it took a little while to discover that he was internally bleeding. “We were in constant contact.”
His aunt, Carolyn Sieja-Bagshaw, who traveled from Arizona to be with her sister, said Jakelich didn’t have any underlying medical conditions and was a “selfless” kid.
“He was sweet, witty, loving, generous,” the 53-year-old said aboard a Metro North train on the way to see her grieving family. “He would help others around him without hesitation.”
Jakelich had just transferred to Loyola this year – as it was a “better fit” than his previous Bronxville school, Newman said.
While he had only been there for a few months, he had already made lots of friends – a constant in Jakelich’s short, but fulfilling life that included trips to Puerto Rico, summers in Connecticut and lots of sports.
“People gravitate towards this kid for reasons that you can’t really list, but basically it comes down to his empathy and caring nature,” the heartbroken stepfather said.
Just last night at a gathering to honor the rising soccer star, numerous pals came up to his family to share the impact he had on their lives.
“He left a footprint on so many communities,” Newman said.
A funeral will likely happen near the Upper East Side School, which costs $34,390 a year, so that his friends can attend.
The school held a mass in honor of Jakelich Wednesday morning and had grief counselors on hand.
A few friends commented on Jakelich’s profile picture, with one writing, “RIP dude. The world mourns.”
