Former Atlanta Braves player Keith Lockhart’s teenage son is battling for his life after being hit in the face with a baseball during a tournament game last week, multiple outlets report.
Lockhart’s son, 15-year-old Jason Lockhart, was playing in a South Carolina baseball tournament on June 17 when he was hit by a ball as he crossed home plate, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The catcher was throwing the ball to the pitcher when it broke Jason’s nose.
Initially, Jason was treated with stitches, but during a doctor’s appointment two days later his fractured nose began to bleed uncontrollably, revealing that there was also a tear in his artery. Jason then underwent surgery to repair the laceration and reset his nose.
On Wednesday of last week, however, Jason was placed on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Hospital because of continued bleeding, his sister Sydney Lockhart – who has been regularly sharing updates on social media – wrote.
By the end of the week, Sydney wrote that Jason was placed on life support as doctors attempted to manage his bleeding.
“He has had a few more bleeds since last nights procedure, so they are now trying to sedate him to a paralytic level so he won’t cough or move,” she wrote. “If the bleeding continues they will have to take him to the operating room once more to try to find the source of the bleeding.”
On Sunday, Jason underwent surgery to do an endovascular embolization, cutting off the blood supply of the two areas determined to be feeding the locations where the teen was bleeding most heavily. Jason was meant to return to surgery on Monday to have his nose repacked, but it was rescheduled because, “[his] body [was] responding a bit slower than anticipated,” said Sydney.
RELATED VIDEO: Special Olympics Athlete Gives Surgeon His Gold Medal After Life-Saving Brain Surgery
He was then taken in for another surgery on Tuesday. Ahead of that procedure, Sydney wrote, “What seems like a simple surgery today has become a massive ball of complications. Some blood in his lungs, a fever, bleeding.. it is all so overwhelming.”
Throughout the entire ordeal, the Lockharts have expressed gratitude for words of support and prayer from fans.
Speaking to local outlet 11 Alive on Sunday, Sydney said, “He is going to be okay we just don’t really know when. It’s been crazy. We are surrounded by so many people and we are feeling the prayers.”
The Lockhart family did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment.
