After "holding out last hope for any type of miracle" for several days, Gabby Frick's parents took their daughter off of life support at a Pittsburgh hospital early Friday morning, days after she suffered unexpected heart failure, her father said.

Gabby, a senior and a cheerleader at Central High School, was 17. She died at UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh.

Gabby's father, Jake Frick, described her as a Christian girl who was passionate about cheerleading, fashion, shopping and time with family and friends, and said she gave one last, tremendous gift Friday.

"Gabby is an organ donor," Jake Frick said. "She was able to, through her passing, help some other families that were hurting who are able now to have a second chance at life. That's probably the biggest thing she would have liked."

Her mother, Diane, said four families will receive good news because of Gabby being an organ donor.

"She's going to help save four lives,'' she said. "God gave us this many years with her and we figured that's what he'd want her to do.''

On Friday night, Frick would normally have been cheering on her high school football team.

"The cheerleading was one of her big drives,'' Jake Frick said. "That drove her really, really hard. She was really committed to competition cheerleading.''

Grief counselors were made available to Central students Friday. Principal Dave Crumrine said they would remain at the school through at least Monday and longer if it was felt necessary.

"It's tragic. So tragic,'' Crumrine said.

Central went ahead with its football playoff game with Penn Cambria Friday night. Immediately afterward, a candlelight vigil was held at Roaring Spring Athletic Field. Most of the fans remained for the entire ceremony, including the Penn Cambria players.

"It was disbelief, shocking, heartbroken. When you have a friend that passes at a young age, it's pretty hard to hold on to it,'' Chris Baker said of his reaction to hearing his classmate and longtime friend had died.

The Central student section dressed in green - Frick's favorite color - for the game, and other members of the Central community wore green ribbons in tribute. At the conclusion of the vigil, green balloons were released into the night.

There also were a number of signs in Frick's memory throughout the stands.

The Central cheerleaders left Frick's spot open during the game and will not take part in today's competition.

"Bishop Guilfoyle is the only one in our division now, since we dropped out, and they are going to be dedicating their whole routine to our squad and Gabby, and we will receive the trophy. We are thankful to them,'' said Central senior cheerleading captain Tara Brumbaugh, who offered a prayer at the vigil.

Frick's classmates described her as a popular, energetic girl who everyone knew.

"She was the most spunky person you would ever meet,'' Brumbaugh said, laughing. "If she thought your hair looked sad that day, she would tell you. She wanted to make her point known. She always said she wanted to be famous. ... She had a sparkle to her personality.''

Gabby, who also had two older brothers, Nick and Eric, enjoyed going on shopping trips with her mom and a yearly trip into New York City with her dad around her Dec. 10 birthday.

"Her and I would take a trip into New York City and go down onto Canal Street so we could negotiate for Louis Vuitton purses and Gucci stuff and then see the city,'' Jake Frick said. "That was our father-daughter Christmastime trip.''

Frick was hoping to attend the University of Pittsburgh next year to study to become a dental hygienist. She had just taken an SAT test Nov. 7.

She loved going to the beach at least one time each summer and made her parents proud by being "a good, good girl,'' Jake Frick said.

She was just as likely to dress up and have her fingernails painted as she was to join her family and friends in four-wheeling, fishing and other outside activities.

Kasie Christine met Frick when they worked together at DelGrosso's Amusement Park several years ago.

Christine, a student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, reminisced about a time when a group of friends was eating at a restaurant before a prom. Before the dance even began, Gabby was taking off her makeup.

"She was all about just being herself and having fun,'' Christine said. "She is one of the strongest and most helpful people I've ever met. Whenever I was having trouble with something, she was always there to talk me through it and make sense of it. She always knew how to make people laugh.''

Frick was close with her older cousin Erin Buksa, who lives in Chambersburg.

"Gabby used to come down every summer and stay a couple of weeks with us,'' Buksa said. "There's so many memories. She's always lively and always fun and nice. Just fun to be around. Holidays are going to be a lot different without her being around. She was so much fun.''

Buksa has started a Facebook page in remembrance of her cousin. There were more than 70 members after only five hours Friday.