Perhaps one of the scariest sports stories of the past year has also been one of the most miraculous.
Florida star Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the pitch last December and had to be placed in a medically induced coma, apparently due to acute myocarditis. The illness, a form of heart inflammation that can interfere with blood pumping, has been linked to COVID-19, but Johnson’s family said the virus was unrelated to the case.
Johnson’s collapse was worrying, but he revealed new information in an interview with Chris Harry from Florida that sheds a new light on the incident. Apparently Johnson’s situation could have been much worse, if not fatal, if a cardiologist hadn’t been seated on the pitch during the game:
“I would say I’m blessed to be here, yes. There’s just not much to say about it, ”Johnson said, recalling that day when a cardiologist – like a guardian angel from above – stood right in court. Tallahassee and ran to the ground to help. “I fainted. I could have died. She jumped onto the field and saved me. If it wasn’t for her, I might not have gotten a second chance at life. You cannot take life for granted. “
Even with the cardiologist’s help, Johnson remained in critical condition for several days and only returned to the team more than two weeks later. He hasn’t played in a game since and won’t do so for the rest of the season.
Johnson told Florida he feels “normal, like nothing really happened” now, and hopes to resume basketball activities this summer. It would require a lot of tests – MRIs, EKGs, stress tests – and the possibility remains that his basketball career could be over if doctors deem the game too risky.
Johnson was named SEC Player of the Year prior to this season and averaged 19.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in the three games before his collapse.
The story continues
Keyontae Johnson: “I thought I was dreaming”
Johnson also provided his prospect of playing and then waking up in the hospital, and it all sounds surreal:
“I watched the highlights of this match. I shot that one, then the next room, we stopped and I went down and got a dunk in an alley – then I collapsed in a timeout.… When I woke up, I I thought I was dreaming when I saw my mother in front of me. I remember the [doctor] call my name. She was asking me questions to see if I would answer. I was still really drowsy, but I could sort of open my eyes. My mother was standing right next to her. The [doctor] said, “Who is he talking about? I had a tube in my mouth, but I could say, “My mother”. Then I saw my mother smile and cry at the same time. Tears of joy. Smiling and crying. Then I think I fell asleep again.
“The next time I woke up Coach White and Coach Nice were there. They were smiling. Then later that day, I faced my teammates to let them know I was good. I couldn’t speak, but put a thumbs up. They were all smiling and really happy to see me. I was still sleepy, and they were blurry, but I could see them. ”
Johnson said he watched the video of the hospital collapse (his first response “Shit!”), And that he woke up to over 2,000 messages between text messages, voicemail messages, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. He says his voicemail is still full.
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