SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) - A California high school football player who suffered a traumatic brain injury during a game earlier this month is out of a medically induced coma and his condition has improved.
Isaac Lindsey, 16, was moved out of intensive care and into a unit where he will be continually monitored, the Tribune of San Luis Obispo reported Sunday (https://bit.ly/1iEUFeL ). His condition has been upgraded from critical to serious.
“The family is obviously ecstatic about his progress,” said Ron Yukelson, spokesman for Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo.
Following a play, the Templeton High School player collapsed after coming off the field during the fourth quarter of a game Sept. 18. He was taken to an ambulance on a stretcher.
The teen underwent surgery and was put into a medically induced coma to reduce brain activity and help control swelling that can damage brain tissue.
The boy’s mother, Jenny Lindsey, wrote on social media that her son was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain injury, according to the newspaper. She said Isaac was brought out of the coma Friday.
“He had slow and steady progress through the day and night, which included recognition of family, movement in limbs and speaking a few words (one of which was MOM),” she wrote.
Yukelson confirmed Jenny Lindsey’s postings and said she would not be giving media interviews.
The teen was assessed Saturday for physical therapy and the highlight of her day “was hearing that sweet voice again along with a kiss on the hand,” she wrote.
Jenny Lindsey said her son will require extensive therapy at an acute treatment facility. His treatment “is anticipated to be a slow and lengthy recovery,” she wrote.
Since the injury, signs of support have been hanging on the Templeton campus and around the community. An online crowd-funding campaign has raised more than $90,000, the Tribune said.
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Information from: The Tribune, https://www.sanluisobispo.com
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