By Karen Gutierrez
The Cincinnati Enquirer

CRITTENDEN - Kendal Smith spent Tuesday night finishing a project for today's foreign-language festival at Northern Kentucky University.

At 10:15 she kissed her mom goodnight and said, "I love you."

Those were their last words.

Kendal, a 16-year-old sophomore at Walton-Verona High School, suffered a seizure and died early Wednesday morning. The cause was blood clots in the lungs, a complication of leg surgery she had two weeks ago.

As a tribute to Kendal - artist, soccer player, honor student - her parents asked that her essay and drawing be displayed as planned at today's festival, which will draw 1,000 high-school students from around the region.

"Taking it home to go register it tomorrow, I feel like I'm carrying something priceless around," said Kendal's Spanish teacher, Amy Compton, on Friday. "It's the only reminder we have of her right now."

Kendal had a condition known as compartment syndrome, in which pressure builds in the muscles during exertion, causing pain. She had the surgery to help her be more competitive on the school's soccer team, said her mother, Susan Smith.

"She was the light of our lives," her mother said.

Kendal's favorite subject was art. For the festival, she did a pencil drawing of a Spanish woman in traditional dress.

"She worked so hard to get it ready. I thought she would want it to go ahead," Susan Smith said.

Kendal was a kind, respectful student with a close-knit group of friends, school officials said. This week, grieving classmates were invited to seek refuge in the front office.

Because a crowd is expected, today's visitation and services will take place at Walton-Verona High School. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the funeral service at 1 p.m.

Kendal is survived by her parents, Patrick and Susan Smith; her paternal grandparents, Richard and Marjorie Smith of Bloomington, Ind.; her maternal grandparents, Alan and Jean Evans of Independence; and her maternal great-grandmother, Addie M. Spivey of Coldwater, Miss.

Memorial donations can be made to the Kendal Smith Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 67, Verona, KY 41092.

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E-mail kgutierrez@enquirer.com