Olympia High School student, baseball player dies after hospital stay
Solomon “Solo” Gardner, a student and baseball player at Olympia High School, died on Sunday after a multi-week stay at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He was 16.
A Gofundme, set up by a friend on behalf of the Gardner family, has raised over $14,000 for the family to assist with medical bills. The post states that Gardner suffered a traumatic brain injury, the cause of which was not stated.
“The event that brought him to this situation is not the focus at this time and rather the focus is on hope for what will be,” it states.
Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, Olympia High School baseball coach Derek Weldon told The News Tribune that Gardner always lit up the room.
“Solo was a high-energy, big-loving personality,” Weldon said. “He lit up the room when he came into it. It’s incredibly sad and devastating what the world lost.”
Gardner played third base and catcher for the Bears.
“He was very much a light,” Weldon said. “He wanted people around him to be happy, wanted to help people. That’s the type of kid he was. I have an 11-year-old and a 6-year-old. He was my kids’ favorite player. He always engaged with them.”
Weldon said the Olympia High School administration immediately made grief counselors available to the team and that Weldon and his coaching staff have met multiple times with players in the baseball program.
“Just making sure everyone is doing OK,” he said.
Weldon said the baseball team is discussing different ways to honor Gardner during the spring season.
It has been a tragic week in the South Sound baseball community. In a separate incident, a baseball player from Steilacoom High School also died. He and Gardner were both part of the New Level 360 select baseball program, based in Puyallup. Operated by Puyallup High coach Marc Wiese, New Level 360 offers select teams and offseason training for some of the area’s high school baseball players.
In a Facebook post, New Level 360 said it would hold a grief counseling session with local pastors on Tuesday night in Puyallup to help the players through the difficult time.
This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Olympia High School student, baseball player dies after hospital stay."
