Cole Croteau was so loved by his East Coweta High School classmates, he was crowned homecoming king. But he was too ill to be there for his crown.
After battling cystic fibrosis for most of his 17 years, Cole was hospitalized for more than a week at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. After two emergency surgeries on his lungs, the high school senior died Sunday night from complications from the disease.
On Monday, his classmates and teachers remembered the popular teen whose fight against a disease helped unite the community, East Coweta Principal Evan Horton told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“He was fighter, there’s no doubt about that,” Horton said. “I don’t know that I ever heard him complain once.”
It's the second time in just over a year that the same class has lost a classmate due to a medical condition. In September 2013, 17-year-old Madeline McTier died from brain cancer. The deaths of both students have been devastating to the Class of 2015. But each time, the community has rallied in support of the families, Horton said.
“I am so proud of our kids and the way they have responded, and to see the outpouring and love for Cole and his family,” Horton said. “It says a lot about how well the students thought of him, that they would elect him homecoming king.”
About 30,000 children and adults in the United States live with the genetic disease, which primarily affects the lungs and digestive system, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Even though he was in pain, Cole was always smiling, never wanting to let others know of his struggles, Kaleigh Purcell, his girlfriend, said Monday.
“He suffered all the time,” Kaleigh said. “As much as this hurts me, it gives me peace to know he isn’t suffering anymore.”
The Cole Croteau Memorial Fund was set up at Regions Bank for those who would like to assist the family with expenses.
Visitation will be held Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at McKoon Funeral Home, 38 Jackson St., Newnan. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Crossroads Church, 3260 Hwy. 16 East, Sharpsburg, Ga., 30277.
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