Family members and friends have been left heartbroken and baffled after an 18-year-old high school senior died suddenly on Tuesday , just hours after feeling ill. Madison Small , from Ashburn , Virginia , left school early on Monday and , after she woke up in the night with a severe headache , she was rushed to hospital . By Tuesday afternoon , her father , Tim Small , had contacted the Broad Run High School to let staff know that his youngest daughter had passed away that morning . The Virginia Medical Examiner 's office is now investigating her death and an autopsy has been ordered , but no cause has yet been given . Loss : Madison Small , pictured , passed away suddenly on Tuesday morning after feeling ill on Monday ; the Virginia Medical Examiner is looking into the cause of her death but so far a diagnosis has not been given . Mr Small told WUSA9 that the family has also not received a diagnosis for his daughter 's illness . He said she had seemed the picture of health over the weekend , when they played catch together . The medical examiner said it would likely take at least a week to determine what had killed her . Her close friend Devan Rook told the Washington Post that she had thought nothing of it when her friend went to the school nurse on Monday afternoon . 'Did n't think anything was wrong with her , ' she said . 'In the middle of the night , she woke up complaining of headaches and stuff , and they took her to [ Inova ] Loudoun Hospital and realized it was pretty serious . 'They could n't handle it there , so they medevac-ed her over to [ Inova Fairfax Hospital ] . At that point , she was n't doing too well , and several of her organs were shutting down . ' Public Health and school district officials said they do not have reason to believe her illness poses a risk to other students , particularly because last week was spring break , WUSA9 reported . Loved : Madison 's family said she was otherwise healthy when her health suddenly declined on Monday . Family : Her father Tim Small , pictured center , spoke at a candle-lit vigil held for the teenager on Tuesday evening . Madison is pictured left with her older siblings and parents . On Tuesday night , just hours after news of their her death , hundreds of friends , classmates and family gathered for a candle-lit vigil at the school . Friends remembered Small as a talented softball player who had happily mentored younger members of the team . She was also excited about starting Virginia Tech in the fall , they said . School Principal Dave Spage , who broke the news to parents in an email on Tuesday , said he thought there were as many as 400 or 500 people at the vigil , which he said 'speaks to her circle and her involvement here ' , NBC reported . Madison 's father , who also has an older daughter and son with his wife , spoke to those who had gathered . 'Life can be short , we found that out today , ' he said . 'Make the most of it : love each other . Do n't get bogged down in the little nitpicky crap . Put that aside . Life 's too short . ' Remembered : Hundreds of people gathered for a candle-lit vigil following Madison 's death on Tuesday . Support : Her varsity softball teammates wear their jerseys and line 2nd base as a tribute to Madison . Vigil : Friends lit candles as they shared memories of the beloved 18-year-old on Tuesday . Memorial : Classmates places flowers on Madison 's desk after she was taken fatally ill . In a Facebook post shared widely between Madison 's friends online , she wrote a touching post in 2011 , quoting Winnie The Pooh . 'If there 's a tomorrow when we 're not together , there 's something you must always remember , ' she wrote , beneath a smiling photo of herself . 'You 're braver than you believe , stronger than you seem , and smarter than you think . But the most important thing is even if we 're apart , I 'll always be with you . ' Counselors will be at the school to help students , Spage said .
Madison Small woke up feeling ill on Tuesday night so was rushed to hospital , but her organs began shutting down and she died on Tuesday . Her parents have not been given a diagnosis for their daughter 's illness and the medical examiner 's office is now determining the cause . Hundreds of students and family members gathered for a candle-lit vigil on Monday night , where she was remembered as a great athlete and friend .