“Khimberly was only 12 years old. A metal bottle thrown during a school bullying incident struck her in the head.”
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A girl in Los Angeles has died after she was struck in the head by a metal water bottle at school when she tried to step in to protect her sister from a bully.
The girl picking on Khimberly Zavaleta’s sister hurled the metal water bottle at Zavaleta, her family said, per the Daily Mail. She was later taken to the emergency room but was released the same day. 10 days later, she suffered from a brain hemorrhage and collapsed without warning.
She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors put Zavaleta in a medically induced coma and she underwent surgery. Zavaleta died on Thursday morning, her uncle Guy Gazit said in a Facebook post.
“Feeling immense pain, grief, a sense of the unfairness of life due to the untimely and sudden passing of my beloved and sweet twelve year old niece, Khimberly, whose life was cut short due to a medical condition and complication that happened several days after a school bullying incident at which point a fellow student chucked a metallic water bottle at Khimberly’s head, which caused a chain of events that would lead to the rupture of major blood vessels in Khimberly’s brain,” he said in the post.
“Saddened, angered, and emotional for losing this vivacious girl that brought so much joy to her family’s lives. Khimberly has been lying in the hospital since last Saturday night in an induced coma, underwent numerous procedures, including a highly complicated brain surgery, and last night – her heart failed and she passed away,” he added.
The Los Angeles Police Department has opened up a homicide investigation in the case. Police have not determined whether the incident with the water bottle was the direct cause of Zavaleta’s death.
A GoFundMe, which has raised nearly $60,000 for the family of the deceased girl, said, “Khimberly was only 12 years old. A metal bottle thrown during a school bullying incident struck her in the head. Days later, her brain Hemorrhaged. She never came home. As the baby of our family, she brought a special light and joy into our lives. She loved her family, music, volleyball, walks with her two beloved dogs, and had many dreams for the future. Tragically, Khimberly’s life was cut short following a bullying incident at school, whereby another student threw a metal water bottle that struck her in the head.”
“Days later, she suffered a catastrophic medical emergency. Major blood vessels in her brain ruptured, and she was rushed to UCLA Children’s hospital, placed in an induced coma, and underwent complex emergency brain surgery. Her family remained by her side, praying and hoping she would come home, but at 3:30AM, her heart gave out,” the GoFundMe added.
