The New York Post e-Edition

LLWS player placed in coma after fall

By JUSTIN TASCH

A Little League World Series player was placed in a medically induced coma following emergency surgery after he hit his head falling from a bunk bed in Williamsport, Pa.

Easton Oliverson of the Snow Canyon team out of Santa Clara, Utah, fell off a top bunk and suffered a fractured skull on Sunday night, Oliverson’s uncle Spencer Beck told TMZ Sports. The 12-year-old was brought to a local hospital before being airlifted to a children’s hospital in Danville for surgery, according to FOX 13 in Salt Lake City.

Beck says the family is optimistic Easton will recover.

“He’s a really good kid, very loving,” Beck told TMZ Sports. “Full of smiles. Just a fun, fun kid — so we’re all praying for him.”

Beck told the Salt Lake Tribune that one of Easton’s teammates quickly asked for help after the fall woke him up.

“Had that other player not been wakened by him falling, he may not have made it,” Beck told the paper.

Snow Canyon is still planning to play its first Little League World Series game on Friday. Easton’s dad, a coach on the team, wants them to play, according to multiple reports.

“While our hearts are heavy, we are committed as a team to have an opportunity to take part in something that is only dreamt about by others,” the team said in a statement.

Snow Canyon became the Mountain Region champions on Friday and is the first team from Utah to ever qualify for the Little League World Series in Williamsport.

“As hard as it will be to not have Easton out there playing, they’re still from this community, this is still a historical moment for the state, for Little League and for our community,” Beck said. “We’re cheering them on, and maybe they’ll have a little inspiration from Easton and they’ll go win it all. That would be awesome.”

Little League World Series officials released a statement Tuesday that said they spoke with the Oliverson family and “were pleased to hear that his medical team remains encouraged by his progress.”

The family has set up a Venmo account for the kid nicknamed “Tank” to help with bills and expenses.

“We want to make sure when Easton wakes up, he’s mentally there for us and can progress from there,” Beck said.

CLASSIFIEDS

en-us

2022-08-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://nypost.pressreader.com/article/282428467975456

New York Post