Photo Courtesy Of Parentheartwatch.org
Zaidyn Ward, a 14-year-old high school athlete, has been walking following a successful open heart surgery prompted by a football field collapse.
According to KXXV, the Texas freshman and football player collapsed and suffered a seizure while he and his teammates huddled in the endzone. The traumatizing incident happened after he scored the final touchdown at Monterey High School in Lubbock on Aug. 31.
Medical professionals on the sideline quickly rushed to Zaidyn’s aid, and performed CPR to revive him. They also had to use a defibrillator on him several times before his heart began beating, but it had done so very weakly.
The teen was then brought to Cooks Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, where surgeons decided to perform open-heart surgery on him–a procedure that was rare for someone his age. Zaidyn’s mother, Cassandra Combs, also reportedly had to empty out all her funds to travel from Lubbock to Fort Worth to be by his side.
Thankfully, the teen successfully completed his surgery and is reportedly walking again.
“It feels good. They’re saying that I’m healing faster than what I am supposed to be, so that’s a good thing. I’m already walking after the surgery,” an optimistic Zaidyn told KLBK, despite having a rocky start to the football season.
Judy Combs, who launched a GoFundMe organizer for the 14-year-old, said she created the account to assist his family with medical expenses. So far, she’s raised over $35,000 of the $8,000 goal.
“He’s healing,” Judy said. “Zaidyn is pulling through. He’s been walking around, he had his tubes taken out, and he’s done his breathing treatments. He’s healing slowly, but so far, he’s doing pretty good.”
Thankfully, Zaidyn is doing well as another young football player faced a different fate. In October, News Onyx reported, SJSU athlete Camdan McWright tragically died after being hit by a school bus. He was reportedly on his scooter, headed to work out.