Florida’s Keyontae Johnson in ‘critical but stable condition’ after collapse
“He may have had activity in the brain, so they induced the coma. They put him on medication to keep him sedated,” said his grandfather
Gators star Keyontae Johnson is now in critical but stable condition and ‘following simple commands’ after an on-court collapse on Saturday during a game.
The college basketball player was placed into a medically induced coma after his collapse. He was initially taken to a Tallahassee hospital but was transported to a hospital in Gainesville, Florida. Doctors had been hoping to bring him out of the coma today, per USA TODAY Sports.
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His grandfather, Larry DeJarnett, tells the source, “They’re just not sure. He may have had activity in the brain, so they induced the coma. They put him on medication to keep him sedated.”
When asked if his illness was COVID-19 related the grandfather said, “I know that there was some of the times when some of the team was quarantined, yes. I don’t know if he was one of them or not.”
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As reported by theGrio, the forward for the Florida Gators collapsed minutes after performing an alley-oop as the Gators were leading Florida State by 11-3. Announcer Mick Hubert said that Johnson was returning from a time-out and then fell forward on his face, according to USA Today.
Johnson was taken to the locker room on a stretcher and then transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, EPSN reported during a broadcast.
Social media users quickly began to send out prayer requests for the young player once the news broke.
“Prayers up for Keyontae Johnson and his family!” wrote Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal.
Shaquille O’Neal’s son Shareef, who plays basketball for his father’s alma mater, Louisiana State University, tweeted his support as well.
According to AP, Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 this summer. It is a known complication of the virus that it can lead to myocarditis, which is a viral infection of the heart. Although rare, it is a known factor in sudden death in young athletes. Wikipedia lists more than 100 athletes in multiple sports who have died of the condition.
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The post Florida’s Keyontae Johnson in ‘critical but stable condition’ after collapse appeared first on TheGrio.