(TotalConservative.com) – A 21-year-old college student from Dayton Ohio was found dead in Rome last week during his study abroad experience. Connor DeNapoli’s death was described as sudden and unexpected, but no further details were provided by a GoFundMe established to help the family cover the costs associated with the funeral.
The young man was studying marketing while living abroad in Italy. The fundraiser describes DeNapoli as soft-hearted and kind, and said he was great with children in the community. He passed away on June 27, although precisely what caused his death is unclear.
The University of Dayton issued a statement on the death, saying that they extended their deepest sympathies and offered prayers to the family and friends of the deceased. The statement also highlighted that the university chapel was open and available for anyone who wanted to pray or light a candle for Connor. The school also said they plan to hold a memorial in the fall when classes resume.
Additionally counseling was made available to anyone who felt they needed it, including fellow students who were studying abroad.
The GoFundMe for the DeNapoli family raised $65,602 at the time of writing. The description calls Connor a loving and selfless young man and highlights how his death was sudden and unexpected. The funds will help support Connor’s funeral as well as the return of his body to the United States.
A report from February highlighted additional cases of young men and women dying during their study abroad experience. The Forum on Education Abroad scrutinized Department of Justice data that showed there were 32 student deaths abroad between 2010 and 2016, indicating that it happens more often than one might believe. Two of the women who lost children reviewed additional data that suggests as many as 110 deaths have occurred over the past decade during study abroad programs.
Mothers of the deceased Elizabeth Brenner and Roshi Thackurdeen formed Protect Students Abroad to lobby for legislation that enhances transparency regarding data on how many students die abroad each year.
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