7-year-old suddenly dies after collapsing at birthday party in Montgomery County
7-year-old Montgomery County boy suddenly dies
What was meant to be a joyful evening turned into unimaginable heartbreak for one Montgomery County family. Their 7-year-old son, Brian, was attending a friend’s birthday party when he collapsed while playing hide-and-seek. Despite emergency medical attention, he didn’t survive.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - What was meant to be a joyful evening turned into unimaginable heartbreak for one Montgomery County family.
Their 7-year-old son, Brian, was attending a friend’s birthday party when he collapsed while playing hide-and-seek. Despite emergency medical attention, he didn’t survive.
Family shocked, saddened
What they're saying:
It was an event no one expected would be his last. Now, his devastated family is searching for answers.
"He was healthy, active, and full of joy," said his mother, Mabell Nana. "I don’t know what happened, but for me and my family, it is very difficult to accept it."
His brother, Simen Njotang, said he's also in shock.
"He was very healthy. Very healthy. He was always playing around, jumping around. Bryan will never just sit," he said.
Family friend Pierre Nounaye, who had spent the day with Brian, described him as playful and full of life.
"Seeing him go like that, in my eyes, was really painful," Nounaye said. "I thought maybe he fell or something hurt him, but that wasn’t the case. That wasn’t the case."
Mysterious circumstances
What we don't know:
Adding to the pain is the mystery surrounding his death. An autopsy revealed no underlying health conditions or visible cause of death.
Images taken just days before show Brian smiling at the party and enjoying a local fair, where he made a bracelet his mother now wears as a reminder of his final days.
To better understand what could have happened, FOX 5 spoke with Dr. Mena Mirhom of Columbia University Medical Center. He explained that it’s not uncommon for autopsies to come back negative in cases like this—especially in children who collapse suddenly with no known medical history.
"Autopsies look at the structural parts of the body—the heart, lungs, liver—but not the electrical patterns," Mirhom said. "Conditions like heart arrhythmias or seizure disorders wouldn’t show up. And both can lead to sudden death without leaving physical evidence."
While the family is left confused, Mirhom stressed it’s important they don’t blame themselves.
"The big thing, I think, that I try to sort of bring home to parents in this scenario is, something this rare and that is not visible on an autopsy, is something that you don't want to blame yourself, that you could have prevented this," Mirhom said.
What's next:
Additional specialized tests may offer more insight, but Mirhom says those results could take weeks.
In the meantime, Brian’s family has delayed making funeral arrangements as they wait for any new information that might explain why their joyful, healthy little boy is gone.