The University of Southern California basketball team practised on Tuesday when 18-year-old Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, suffered a heart arrest.
He was rushed to the hospital by ambulance after the incident on Monday, thday of the practice. As per the spokeswoman, his condition is now stable and he is no longer in the ICU
According to a statement issued by the couple’s rep, “LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly express their gratitude to the USC medical and athletic staff for their extraordinary efforts and commitment to the safety of their athletes.”
Due to concerns for student confidentiality, USC declined to respond
Messages of support flooded in on social media. Magic Johnson, an NBA legend, and his wife, Cookie, are hoping for a “speedy recovery” for Bronny James’ injury, as Magic stated on Twitter. Even Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills’ safety who collapsed with a heart attack during an NFL game earlier this year, sent his best wishes to him and his family.
Sending my thoughts and prayers to Bronny and the James family. Hamlin added, “here for you guys just like you’ve been for me my entire process.”
James was a highly anticipated talent in USC’s 2017 recruiting class, earning a ranking of five stars. As of May, he had already signed a letter of intent to become a member of the team. His draft status is high for the 2019 NBA season.
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His collapse is the second heart arrest suffered by a USC player in as many years, following that of freshman Vince Iwuchukwu last summer during an informal practice.
What causes young players to have a cardiac arrest?
Shortly after hearing about James’ cardiac arrest, the American Heart Association said that it happens when the “heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly.” The organization said to call 911 and “push hard and fast in the middle of the chest until help arrives.”
Young athletes rarely have sudden cardiac death, but it does happen sometimes. A 2011 study looked at the sudden deaths of NCAA student athletes between 2004 and 2008 and found that heart problems were the main cause of death in 45 cases, or about 9 each year.
Hank Gathers, a star forward for Loyola Marymount University, collapsed and expired during a conference tournament game in 1990.His story is among the most famous.
In 2016, the NCAA issued recommendations from a task force on sudden cardiac arrest at colleges and institutions.
In 2016, the NCAA issued recommendations from a task team that suggested colleges and universities create and execute an emergency action plan for cardiac arrest.
Medical professionals at USC have dealt with a similar situation recently. USC freshman big Vince Iwuchukwu collapsed and died during a summer session in July. A video of Iwuchukwu from earlier this year said he passed out and then felt fainted during a water break during exercise.
According to USC, athletic trainers Jon Yonamine, Erin Tillman, and Lauren Crawford gave him CPR and brought him back to life. After over six months of recovery, Iwuchukwu finally made his basketball comeback in January.
In January, head coach Andy Enfield praised the team’s trainers.
“They really do an amazing job, not only keeping our players healthy, but when something happens, they do therapy, and when something serious happens, like in Vince’s case, they’re ready to respond immediately.”
In April, Hamlin said commotio cordis caused his cardiac arrest.
Hamlin was saved by an AED- an automated external defibrillator. It was used by New Jersey police to save a basketball player who had cardiac arrest.
If utilized within one minute, survivability is 90%. According to Hudson, the American Heart Association offers online CPR and AED classes.
