Tennessee player collapses- revived by defibrillator

[tornado]

Here's one more unfortunate final followup on Emmanuel Negedu -- who transferred to New Mexico to play after having a life-threatening heart issue treated with an implanted defibrillator...

Several schools said they wouldn't let him play and New Mexico (Steve Alford) was one of the few who said they'd let him play knowing the risks...

Negedu had played in all 10 games up 'til Dec. 19, but wasn't all that productive...getting some garbage time and some time against good teams..averaging 4.7 ppg.


Well -- at halftime of that game on Dec. 19, vs. Citadel, where he had played hard for 6 minutes at the end of the 1st half...his defibrillator fired and so as a precaution, he went to the hospital and never played in the 2nd half of that game.
In response to questions from the media, Alford said "I will not say much" ..but that Negedu was "under the weather" and said nothing more, as Negedu continued over the subsequent several days to undergo tests.

Negedu has now missed the last two games, and finally the truth is being revealed...
He is now stated to be "not playing for the foreseeable future".
..and some experts say with this latest development he may not play again.

[Da Coach]

AZ I agree 100%! Your life is not worth the risk for JUST a game!

You are correct, and this latest event proves there was risk involved in letting him return to playing. I believe the doctors at New Mexico were wrong in clearing him when doctors at multiple other schools believed there was too much risk.

[tornado]

If his heart continues to go into ventricular fibrillation (and I do not know the details of his case) - which is the indication for the defibrillator in the first place -- to shock his heart when he has an unexpected episode of this life threatening rhythm abnormality..
Then not only might the "shocker" have now saved the kid's life -- but it's NOT a 100% guarantee to be successful in doing it again...

Thus -- it appears the only such episodes he's had have been while playing basketball, and this alone might be cause to "shut him down" ....and avoid further risks...and then medicate with beta-blockers to help keep the kid from experiencing a Hank Gathers-scenario and die....
It thus becomes likely that it would be deemed too much of a risk to play basketball....