Boy Dies ‘Unexpectedly’ After Elementary School Orientation

A Georgia elementary school student died unexpectedly this week after visiting his school orientation.

Dominic Ippolito was supposed to start school at Holly Springs Elementary soon as a fourth grader — but after attending the orientation on Tuesday, July 30, he died suddenly at home, according to Fox affiliate WAGA.

The Douglas County School System, the elementary school and the Cherokee County Coroner’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

Dominic’s cause of death is unknown at this time, according to a GoFundMe campaign organized by family friend Carol Saladzius.

“Dom passed away unexpectedly and without warning this afternoon, shortly after arriving home from visiting his new classroom at school orientation today,” read a message on the campaign. “We are unsure of the root cause, and we ask that you give the family space to process this impossible news as they await information from the medical examiner.”

According to the GoFundMe campaign, Dominic was described as a “smart, kind, sweet young man who had a huge heart and would help anyone who needed it. He was strong and brave and knew what it was to work hard in the pursuit of his goals.” 

“Most of all, Dom was a wonderfully supportive friend. He knew just what to say to make people laugh if they were having a bad day, and was happy to just be around the people that he loved,” a message on the fundraiser read.

Ippolito is survived by his parents, Hailey and Ralph, and his younger sister, according to ABC affiliate WSB-TV and WAGA.

Hailey’s sister, Nicole Sawyer, told WSB-TV that her sister is “broken into pieces and these pieces we can’t put back together.”

“She has gone through so much in her short lifetime and this is unbearable,” she added.

As of publication, the campaign has raised over $19,000. Funeral services for Ippolito are slated for Sunday, Aug. 11, at 2:00PM.