ATLANTA -- The family of a College Park teen who died after collapsing during volleyball practice earlier this month announced legal representation on Thursday.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined the family for the announcement.
Amanda Sylvester, 15, was at a club volleyball practice on Dec. 5 when she collapsed on the floor of the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Center in College Park.
RELATED: Teen dies after 40-minute wait for ambulance
The incident was first reported as an allergic reaction. 911 was called immediately, but the family was forced to wait more than 40 minutes for an ambulance. When that didn't happen, Amanda's mom, Barbara Sylvester, drove through rush-hour traffic to Downtown Atlanta to a children's hospital adjacent to Grady.
While an EMT crew from the City of College Park was quickly on the scene at the rec center where Amanda was practicing, the city has cited state licensing rules for not allowing them to transport her.
But, Grady Hospital, in a statement to 11Alive, said, under state law, the College Park first responders could have transported the teen.
Audio from a 911 call shows that, at the time, Grady Hospital had no ambulances available.
That meant Amanda's mother had to drive through an estimated 40 minutes of traffic.
"When she got to the hospital... she was still living. That tells us that if the emergency rescue services could have gotten to her 15-year-old daughter, she'd still be with us today," Crump said on Thursday.
Crump and his team went on to describe how Amanda had been a Type 1 diabetic since the age of five, but her blood sugar levels were fine at the time. They added that she also had no known allergies.
Lawyers also added that while waiting for the results of the Fulton County medical examiner's autopsy, they are making arrangements for an independent one and collecting various records to get answers.
RELATED: Grady EMS says College Park ambulance could have rushed volleyball player who collapsed, later died to hospital
The announcement also featured emotional testimony from Amanda's parents, still processing their emotions just a day after the teen's funeral.
"To lose anyone hurts; to lose the baby hurts the most," Amanda's father, Anthony Sylvester, said regarding losing their youngest child.
He added that the lack of answers has been most difficult for the family, adding, "Everybody is pointing fingers, and no one is taking responsibility."
Amanda's mother, tears streaming, said of her daughter, "I remember the day she was born, like yesterday, and now, for the rest of my life, I'll remember the day she died, like it was yesterday."
Barbara went on to describe the traumatic experience of attempting to get Amanda to the hospital by car but finding herself lost and without even an emergency escort to help guide her through Atlanta traffic.
"I didn't know that was an option, to know no ambulances were available," she said, tears still streaming. "I thought when you called for help, help came."
Both parents expressed that they hope they can be the last family to go through such a difficult ordeal, with Amanda's father saying, "You dial 911, you expect people to show up, you expect an ambulance to show up."