Family with history of heart problems hit by horrific tragedy moments after daughter, 16, finished opening presents on Christmas Day
Scarlett Durden had just finished opening Christmas presents and was FaceTiming her father in the hospital when her heart suddenly stopped.
Published: 20:39 GMT, 2 January 2026 | Updated: 21:12 GMT, 2 January 2026
A 16-year-old from Alabama dropped dead on Christmas Day moments after she opened presents with her family.
Scarlett Durden was at her Piedmont home on facetime with her father, Marvy, when she collapsed.
The teen was checking in with her dad who was in the hospital awaiting a heart transplant.
In the middle of the conversation her heart stopped beating and she tragically died.
Her mother, Janice 'Renee' Durden, told local Gray News affiliate WBRC said she first became alerted to a problem when her youngest daughter ran to get her, saying 'Scarlett's being weird'.
She then discovered the teen unconscious on the floor.
According to the family's GoFundMe, the family said there is a history of heart problems.
The family's agony comes just months after Durden's mom was involved in a car accident in which she injured her beck and back.
Scarlett Durden had just finished opening her presents with her family when her heart stopped beating on Christmas Day
Scarlett was a sophomore at Piedmont High School, and was enrolled in the JROTC program at her previous school
Between the mounting medical bills and sudden funeral expenses, the family said they are in desperate need of financial aid.
The teen, described by her mother as ‘goofy and loving,’ was a sophomore at Piedmont High School.
She previously attended Central High School in Carrollton, Georgia, where she was enrolled in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC).
The federally funded program offers leadership training and classes taught by retired military officers and non-commissioned officers, who are certified by their respective branches but employed by the school.