Family and friends inspired by heroic legacy left behind by fallen Long Island teen

LONG ISLAND - The 17-year-old Selden teen who died last week, after collapsing during a conditioning drill is being remembered by family and friends as a hero, after his organ were donated. 

"My last hug with Robert was on Friday, and I’ll cherish that," said his father Robert Bush Senior. 

His son Robert Bush suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on the football filed last week at Newfield high school.

He is described by loved ones as a kind, giving young man. 

"Our ritual here when he left in the morning, I would say I love you and you could hear him at the door say I love you more," said his father. 

Now even in death he is helping others, giving the gift of life. His family deciding to donate his organs.

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"Robert saved three lives of individuals in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, three females between the ages of 55 and 65 years old over the weekend because of that act of grace, and it's powerful. It's a legacy. It's something that, you know, families hold on to and we remember and honor our donors for. These are, you know, three individuals of 100,000 on the waitlist who woke up this morning in the United States waiting for somebody like Robert and his family to step up and say, I can't take these with me, but I can live on through helping others. And we're so grateful that he and his family did that." Said Leonard Achan, President, and CEO of LiveOnNY.

Robert's family says he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. 

"The fact that he saved three lives now, I can't put it into words how it's made us feel as a family we are grieving but also so very happy about what this little kid has done, said his brother Steven Bush. He’s my hero, he's my family's hero," he said.

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Meanwhile, A GoFundMe page has been set up. So far it has raised more than $27,000. 

The money the family says will be used for scholarships for Newfield high school students in Robert’s memory.

Robert's father also wants to make sure no other family goes through what they are going through and says his mission now is to fight for all school athletic departments to have cardiac screenings. 

"Going forward now what we all want is we want more stringent policies on the kids that go on field for any type of sport l, cardiac testing for all children should be automatic," he said.

The wake services are being held Tuesday and Wednesday. Robert will be laid to rest on Thursday at Pinelawn Memorial Park. 

For more information visit the family's fundraiser page at gofundme.com.