Two days after the tragic death of Matthew Demaine '04, the Dartmouth community continues to question how the seemingly active, healthy freshman could have suffered the sudden heart attack that led to his passing away.
Demaine, a 19 year-old lacrosse player from Northfield, Mass., died of cardiac arrest early Tuesday morning. Although the first part of Demaine's autopsy was completed today, the final report will probably not be released until the end of the week, according to Director of Health Services John Turco.
Friends of Demaine remain in disbelief about the circumstances surrounding his death.
"It was a complete shock," Demaine's teammate on the men's lacrosse team, Tom Daniels '04, said, referring to his friend's heart attack. "There were no prior symptoms [of any sort of heart problem] at all, as far as I could tell."
Njoki Gatimu '04, a close friend of Demaine, agreed.
"He was in perfect shape, the healthiest guy I ever knew," she said.
According to Mark Reed, Director of Counseling and Human Development, Demaine's age and excellent physical condition have made coping with his death more difficult.
"He was so young, so healthy ... It's very difficult for people to believe and it makes the grief that much [greater]," he explained.
Reed helped organize several group meetings with grief counselors, administrators and students following Demaine's death to help people deal with the tragedy.
A meeting held at Dick's House attracted roughly 30 students, as well as Demaine's parents.
Counselors have also had meetings with the lacrosse team, and have been meeting with students individually throughout the past two days.
Reed predicts that Demaine's death will have an impact on some students' abilities to concentrate on schoolwork. To deal with this possibility, he and deans at the first year student office contacted faculty members -- particularly those teaching the three classes Demaine was taking this term -- with advice on how to deal with grieving students and will continue to consult with the professors as necessary.
Meanwhile, Demaine's friends and teammates have taken advantage of the resources offered by the College.
"The administration has done a great job, especially [First Year Deans] Leigh Remy and Gail Zimmerman ... [and] the counselors have been really supportive," Demaine's roommate, Adam Goodman '04 said.
However, students' greatest source of comfort may be each other.
"I've been in close contact with our good friends and spending time with them and sharing stories and supporting each other. It's really helping," Gatimu said.
"We've been really good about being supportive of each other and checking in throughout the day," explained Remy Wildrick '04, who is another friend of Demaine.
Daniels said that he thinks the best counselors are friends, coaches, and teammates -- "people you know."
According to Daniels, members of the lacrosse team having been talking about experiences they've shared with the deceased. Nevertheless, dealing with the tragedy is still "tough to do," he said.
Reed said that in the weeks to come, more meetings with students may follow if a need should arise.
"Everyone grieves at their own speed," he explained. "There's no right way to deal with it."
"I've gone through so much in the last day that I feel exhausted emotionally and physically ... it's still kind of strange," Goodman said. "But life has to go on."
