22°
Jayson Toral, a student at Charles J. Riley School #9 of Paterson, had a heart attack and fell into cardiac arrest while playing soccer, according to his obituary and a GoFundMe launched for his funeral expenses.
“His last moment here on earth was doing something he truly loved to do, playing soccer with his friends,” reads the campaign. “Jayson was and still is dearly loved by his parents, family, friends, teachers, and acquaintances. It pains us so much to see him leave us at such a young age and wonder why he was taken too soon from us.”
Born in Paterson to Benigna Zamora and Daniel Toral, Jayson was known for his bright smile and upbeat spirit.
“Those that had the pleasure to meet him will tell you the same thing, ‘He was such a good boy.’ ‘He was always there when I needed him.’ ‘He was an amazing soccer player!’” the campaign says. “Whoever you spoke to about Jayson knew the type of person he was; what you saw is what he projected to all…happiness.”
Nearly $9,500 had been raised for Jayson’s funeral costs as of Friday, June 9. Several tributes were also posted to social media following the young boy’s tragic passing, including one from the Charles J. Riley School:
“Our school community is heartbroken right now with the unexpected loss of our beloved 7th-grade student Jayson Toral,” reads the tribute. “He will be greatly missed by all.”
Jayson’s funeral was held on Saturday, May 27 at St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church in Paterson.
“Jayson was a healthy boy, who loved to play his favorite sport, soccer, and had no negative feelings in his heart, which is why it makes it hard for all to understand why he had to go,” reads the fundraiser.
“Jayson was loved. Jayson was a soccer player. Jayson had big aspirations. Jayson was the sole reason for his parents. Jayson was simply too good for this world.”
Click here to view/donate to ‘Long Live Jayson’ on GoFundMe.
Click here to follow Daily Voice West Milford and receive free news updates.
