Matawan Girl, 11, Dies Suddenly On Thanksgiving Day

MATAWAN, NJ — An 11-year-old girl in Matawan died suddenly Thanksgiving Day, according to her obituary and a GoFundMe campaign started for her family.

The girl is Juliana Rechten, who was a sixth grade student at Matawan Aberdeen Middle School.

"On the morning of November 25, 2021, Thanksgiving Day, Juliana Rechten unexpectedly passed away at the young age of 11," wrote the organizer of the GoFundMe page. Neither her obituary nor the fundraising page gave any further details about the circumstances surrounding her death.

Born in Long Branch, Rechten grew up in Hazlet and Matawan.

"Juliana was a beautiful, vibrant young girl," read her obituary. "She loved Huskies, and especially adored her beloved dogs, Stasia and Blu. Juliana also enjoyed playing basketball and was planning on trying out for her school basketball team next school year."

"Anyone that knew Juliana knew she was a ray of sunshine," read her GoFundMe page. "She was a respectful and beautiful young girl that loved life and everything it had to offer. The love and joy she had for everyone was insurmountable and her smile was contagious."

Friends of the Rechten family started the GoFundMe page to help the family pay for funeral expenses.

"The loss of a child is something that no parent should endure. The Rechten family is devastated and truly heartbroken," it read on the page.

Funeral services for the little girl were held Tuesday at Shore Point Funeral Home in Hazlet. She is survived by her parents, two brothers and extended family.

Be the first to know. Sign up to get Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com