A star athlete suddenly died of bacterial meningitis during a visit home to New Hampton from college over the Columbus Day weekend.

Erin Ortiz, 18, recently graduated from Goshen High School. She came home for a visit from Bentley College in Massachusetts and suddenly became ill. Ortiz?s parents took her to the hospital where doctors discovered her brain was already inflamed by meningitis. She died Sunday night at Westchester Medical Center.

Ortiz was considered a scholar athlete. She was the captain of all the teams she participated in. Family and friends gathered around the Ortiz family to offer comfort. Ortiz?s parents want to get the word out about meningitis so other families don?t have to go through their grief.

The CDC says there are vaccines, which prevent the most common types of the disease. However, it can't prevent all types of the disease. The best cure is if meningitis is detected and treated early.

Related Information Centers for Disease Control