Infant Son Of Galaxy Defender AJ DeLaGarza Dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LA Galaxy officials say the newborn son of defender A.J. DeLaGarza has died after being taken off life support in preparation for heart surgery. The child was a week old.

Luca Wyatt DeLaGarza was born Aug. 28. He died Thursday.

The Galaxy will wear black arm bands with the infant's name on them for Friday night's game against the Colorado Rapids.

DeLaGarza wasn't expected to play, but he may be in attendance.

Galaxy players wore shirts reading "Luca knows heart" before the D.C. United match last week.

Luca was born with a defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, meaning that side of the heart was underdeveloped.

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 1 in 4,300 babies born in the U.S. have the condition each year. The causes are unknown.

Team spokesman Brendan Hannan says in an email the baby was A.J. and Megan DeLaGarza's first child.

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