Family: Mason Martin showing signs of progress
The Karns City quarterback who collapsed during a game Sept. 1 has shown real signs of improvement, according to his family.
Mason Martin, a senior at Karns City Area Jr./Sr. High School, was injured during a game against Redbank Valley and was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh to be treated for a brain bleed and a collapsed lung.
Mason’s family has shared several updates since then, including one last week that said Mason had a difficult week, including a dangerous incident of ventricular tachycardia, where the lower chambers of the heart beat quickly. Since then, the 17-year-old has shown signs of improvement.
After his heart troubles last week, Mason seemed to turn around, according to an update Denny and Stacey Martin, Mason’s parents, posted on social media Wednesday, Sept. 20. In the days after the ventricular tachycardia, Mason was able to come off most of his medication.
He had an MRI over the weekend and by Sunday was entirely off sedation. He made purposeful movements within hours of the medication being stopped, and on Tuesday, doctors took him off a breathing machine for the first time since Sept. 1.
“They told us not to be disappointed if he couldn’t do it,” his parents wrote in the update. “His lungs haven’t pumped on their own in over two and a half weeks. He went five hours straight breathing unassisted. The team met with us and said although they can’t guarantee anything, they have yet to see anything that would suggest that he can’t make a full recovery.”
His family noted that while there is a long recovery still to come, Mason has come a long way in just under three weeks.
“He is only where he is through this amazing medical staff, the unbelievable community support (big things have happened after big events), his strength and determination, and most importantly God’s will.” they wrote. “Again, things can change quickly, but we’re just going to enjoy this moment. Thank you all. Keep praying and keep fighting for him because he’s coming back!”
Last Tuesday evening was the lowest point of this journey. After the V Tach episode, we watched a member of the neuro team come into the room and ask the nurse “how long?” She reluctantly replied, “Over two minutes.” I watched his shoulders and head drop. He got a tissue and rolled it up. I knew exactly what was going to happen because I watched a doctor pronounce my Grandmother dead the same way. As he touched Mason’s eye with the tissue his head popped up and he and the nurse gave each other a surprised look. He did the other eye and again looked at the nurse and nodded while she busted out the biggest grin. He looked at me and said, “OK, we’ll just continue on.” Mason improved almost immediately. It was as if his body just reset itself. He came off of almost all his meds and his body started to regulate itself. He was able to get an MRI over the weekend. Although only a piece of the puzzle, the results were very encouraging. He was completely weaned off of sedation late Sunday. The doctors said it would be days until it was completely out of his system. Only then would they get a true physical exam. They gave him a quick exam Monday morning and they were excited to see his strong purposeful movements after only being off of sedation for about four hours. The next day they shut off his breathing machine for a trial run. They told us not to be disappointed if he couldn’t do it. His lungs haven’t pumped on their own in over two and a half weeks. He went five hours straight breathing unassisted. The team met with us and said although they can’t guarantee anything, they have yet to see anything that would suggest that he can’t make a full recovery.
We are still a long way from victory, but we’re also a long way from Sept. 1st when we were begging the Doctor to just give him a chance. She did and has invested her life into saving him.
He is only where he is through this amazing medical staff, the unbelievable community support (big things have happened after big events), his strength and determination, and most importantly God’s will.
Again, things can change quickly but we’re just going to enjoy this moment. Thank you all. Keep praying and keep fighting for him because he’s coming back!
