Grief counselors are supporting Peachtree Middle School after the sixth-grader died following a medical emergency connected with basketball practice.
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Students, teachers and relatives are mourning 11-year-old Emanuela Datsa after the Peachtree Middle School sixth-grader suffered a medical emergency following basketball practice and later died.
The DeKalb County School District has made grief counselors available to students and staff at Peachtree Middle School following the loss. Emanuela’s death has also prompted an outpouring of support for her family, which is coping with a sudden death that remains medically unexplained.
Emanuela collapsed Sept. 9 after a basketball practice at the Dunwoody school. She was taken to a hospital but did not survive. Her father, Selom Datsa, said she had no known underlying health conditions and had not complained of pain before the collapse.
Her family has emphasized the life she led rather than the unanswered medical questions alone. Relatives remembered Emanuela as an active child who loved basketball, singing and dancing. Her father described her as someone who showed affection freely and was willing to help other people.
The loss has affected a family that includes Emanuela’s parents, two older sisters and a younger brother. Her father said family members have experienced their grief differently since her death, with each trying to process the loss in his or her own way.
Emanuela’s sister organized an online fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses and support the family. In describing the loss, the family said it had happened so suddenly that they were still struggling to understand and accept it.
The school district said the broader DeKalb County school community, and especially Peachtree Middle School, was mourning the sixth-grader. The decision to provide grief counselors gives students and employees a place to seek support as the school continues operating after the death of one of its students.
At the same time, questions remain about what caused the medical emergency. An initial autopsy was inconclusive, and the family is hoping additional testing will offer an explanation. No final cause of death had been publicly announced as of Friday.
As the medical process continues, Emanuela’s family has said it wants her remembered for the way she treated others. Her father’s reflections centered on her willingness to care for people and the joy she found in basketball, music and dancing.
Peachtree Middle School continues to make grief support available, while Emanuela’s relatives await further medical findings and prepare to honor the 11-year-old’s life.
Author note: Last updated September 18, 2026.