"The loss of a brother is traumatic," said Phyllisity Walters. "Grief is hard. It's mentally hard, physically hard."
For the family of Hezekiah Walters, some days it feels like time stands still. Walters died after conditioning during a football practice at Middleton High School in 2019.
Their memories of Hezekiah remain heavy on their hearts and fresh in their minds.
WATCH Family remembers Hezekiah Walters after law hopes to prevent heat stroke deaths
"He was funny. He laughed all the time. He was the jokester of the family, so his presence is missed on a daily basis," said Phyllisity.
Phyllisity said his void is amplified this time of year as families prepare to send their kids back to school.
Hezekiah's cause of death was heatstroke.
Following his death, Hillsborough County Schools was one of several districts in the area that tightened their protocols, aimed at keeping student athletes safe.
"Being able to take breaks, get in the shade whenever possible, and drinking lots of fluids is very important," said Dr. Jennifer Takagishi with Muma Children's Hospital at TGH.
She said even with protocols in place, it's important for parents to be engaged, asking questions before allowing their child to practice.
"They should be asking, 'What are the hours that the child is going to be participating if they're going to be out in the hot sun? What is your plan for keeping my child hydrated? How do we keep them out of the sun whenever it's possible?'" said Dr. Takagishi.
She added that it's equally important for student athletes to know their bodies and any warning signs that something may be wrong.
"The older the child gets, hopefully, the more advocacy they can do for themselves, the more aware they should be, and to be able to say to a coach or a team member, whoever they need, 'I need to take a break,'" Dr. Takagishi said.
Their own situation has motivated the Walters family to turn knowledge into power, equipping the community with CPR training and offering education on the dangers of heat exhaustion.
"It made the pain of his death more easy to bear because we're giving love to somebody else," said Phyllisity. "When you think about Hezekiah, oh my God. Don't think of heat exhaustion in a negative way. Think of it as he's saving my life."
The family is planning more CPR workshops in the future.
But starting next school year, all high school student-athletes in grades 9 to 12 will be required to undergo an ECG or EKG screening before participating in school sports, due to a new state law.
Florida will be the first in the nation to mandate these screenings for student athletes.