Miller Gardner, son of New York Yankees star Brett Gardner, has passed away. The New York Yankees announce the news on X on Sunday, revealing the son of Brett and Jessica Garnder had passed away at the age of 14.
UPDATE: Costa Rican authorities now say a forensic pathologist has ruled food intoxication asphyxiation as the cause of death in the case. The story below has been updated to reflect that change.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The teenage son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica, died after falling ill during a family vacation. Now, Costa Rican authorities have revealed new information on what happened.
Miller Gardner appeared to have died by asphyxia "after a possible intoxication after apparently ingesting some food," an official with Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency told NBC News. That cause of death was later ruled out, however.
He was 14 years old.
Here's what we know so far about the tragedy:
What is asphyxiation?
Local
"Asphyxiation is when you don’t get enough oxygen in your body," according to the Cleveland Clinic.
It can be caused by anything from allergic reactions to drowning to foreign objects blocking your airway.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Symptoms of asphyxiation include trouble breathing, loss of consciousness and an inability to speak.
What is food intoxication?
Food intoxication, also known as food poisoning, is a foodborne illness where people get sick from something they ate or drank.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the sickness can be caused by "germs or other harmful things in the food or beverage."
Common symptoms include:
- Upset stomach.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Diarrhea with bloody stools
- Stomach pain and cramps
- Fever
- Headache
Mayo Clinic notes that while less common, food poisoning can affect the nervous system and cause severe disease. Those symptoms may include:
- Blurred or double vision
- Headache
- Loss of movement in limbs
- Problems with swallowing
- Tingling or numbness of skin
- Weakness
- Changes in sound of the voice
What happened to Miller Gardner?
The teen died in his sleep Friday morning, according to a statement from his family that was released by the Yankees on Sunday. The Gardners said they “have so many questions and so few answers at this point.”
Authorities originally said Gardner appeared to have died by asphyxiation after possibly getting sick from eating something during his family's vacation in Costa Rica, though that cause of death was still preliminary and awaiting the results of a toxicology analysis.
Hours later, official said a forensic pathologist was consulted and "preliminarily ruled out that the cause of death was due to asphyxia." That was "due to the fact that at the time of the inspection of the body, no anomaly was observed at macro level in the respiratory tract," according to a statement from Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia with the Costa Rican Judicial Investigation Agency.
Several tests were ordered, some of which could take months to get results, authorities said.
"The case is under investigation by the agents of the Quepos and Parrita Subdelegation of the OIJ and at the moment it is being handled as a death under investigation," Alvarado Garcia said.
Family statement
“Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile," Jessica and Brett Gardner said in the release. “He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day.”
The Yankees said the organization was “filled with grief.”
“Words feel insignificant and insufficient in trying to describe such an unimaginable loss,” the team said in its statement. "It wasn’t just Brett who literally grew up in this organization for more than 17 years — so did his wife, Jessica, and their two boys, Hunter and Miller.”
Brett Gardner, 41, was drafted by the Yankees in 2005 and spent his entire big league career with the organization. The speedy outfielder batted .256 with 139 homers, 578 RBIs, 274 steals and 73 triples in 14 seasons from 2008-2021.
