The family of a Johnston baseball player who collapsed during a game Monday provided an update Wednesday on his condition.
Matt Shaver, 18, remains in a coma at Iowa Methodist Medical Center.
“We can safely say he is a critically stable condition right now,” said Amy Shaver, Matt’s mother in a news release. “His heart is good and no long-term damage is expected. The Iowa Methodist critical care team is working to warm his body temperature to 98.6 degrees after intentionally cooling it down over the past 24 hours.”
Data from the automated external defibrillator used on Shaver at the baseball field provided more information on his condition.
Amy Shaver said her son was diagnosed with ventricular fibrillation, a condition in which his heart essentially shakes uncontrollably.
“We now know what happened Monday night was inevitable,” Amy Shaver said. “Unfortunately, there is no way we could have known when or why it would happen. In the coming weeks, Matt will receive an internal defibrillator (ICD) to fix the problem.
“As scary as this all is, we were in the right place at the right time, with the right people to save Matt’s life. It is critical for people to know CPR and be able to perform it when the situation arises. Further, knowing where an AED machine is located and how to use it can mean the difference in terms of life and death. We are incredibly thankful for the quick-thinking and medical skills of everyone involved Monday night.”
The Shavers expect Matt to make a full recovery.
Athletic trainer Chris Wiedmann was helping Matt Shaver with his aching ankle Monday when he noticed the baseball player becoming lightheaded and loseing color in his face.
“He started off just kind of mumbling something when we were working on the heel, and (I) realized something else was going on,” Wiedmann said.
Matt Shaver went from gasping for air to unconscious in a matter of seconds.
“Typically a heart is going to do a ‘lub-dub.’ It’s going to have those two beats. He was only getting one of those two beats,” Wiedmann said.
Wiedman started CPR and grabbed the AED. He used it to shock Shaver’s heart twice until his pulse came back.
“Everything worked the way it was supposed to Monday night,” Wiedmann said. “(I’m) grateful that all the pieces of the puzzle were able to be at the right place at the right time.”
STORY BACKGROUND:
A Johnston baseball player collapsed and was taken from the field to a hospital Monday night.
Dragon’s baseball players said Matt Shaver, 18, collapsed near the dugout during the game with Marshalltown. Shaver was out the game being treated for an ankle issue when it happened.
“He just kind of fell over, and they started doing CPR on him. So I got the team together and told them we needed to pray,” said teammate John May.
Family and friends gathered Tuesday at the hospital for Shaver and also held a prayer service at Johnston Evangelical Free Church.
Though many community members said this is a hard time, they said Shaver is the one carrying them through.
“He’s just a great kid. I can’t say enough. He’s got one of the biggest hearts,” said friend Alec Ginsberg.
Family reported on Facebook that “We would like to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers. It’s going to be another day and a half before we will know anything else. Only family for the next few days. His vitals are stable and he is in a critical care unit.”
