14-year-old student dies of stroke after PE run in Vietnam

By Dac Thanh November 28, 2025 | 12:30 am PT

A student tying running shoes on a school athletics track. Photo by Pexels

A 9th-grade student in central Vietnam has died after collapsing during a short-distance run in her physical-education class, drawing renewed attention to the growing number of stroke cases among young people.

The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. at Quang Xuan Secondary School in Quang Trach District, Quang Tri, principal Nguyen Minh Lam said on Nov. 27. The girl had run about 60–70 meters when she appeared fatigued and slowed to a walk before suddenly losing consciousness.

Teachers rushed her to the local health station and then to the Northern Quang Tri Regional General Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead. The hospital identified the cause as a stroke.

Strokes are typically associated with older adults, yet specialists say cases are increasingly appearing among adolescents, even children as young as 12 or 13. Most patients, around 80%, show no warning signs before the onset.

Doctors are urging parents to stay alert to unusual symptoms in children: dizziness, severe headaches, vomiting, confusion, sudden sluggishness, seizures, or weakness in one arm or leg. Prompt medical evaluation can be critical.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training notes that students with chronic illnesses, medical conditions under treatment or disabilities may apply for exemptions from the physical components of PE and National Defense–Security classes if they provide appropriate hospital documentation.