Raiders star Corey Harawira-Naera’s heartbreaking family revelation after a sickening attack on the pitch sent the footy world into shock
- Star Forward’s attack still baffles medics
- Harawira-Naera hoping to return to the football field
- But his son will not play the game anymore
The horrific collapse and seizure of Canberra Raiders hard man Corey Harawira-Naera not only upset the world of footy fans, it also broke the spirit of his five-year-old son.
On 28 May, during the game between Souths and Canberra, the star of the Auckland native Raiders collapsed in a sensational and stunning fashion to the ground, forcing the game to be stopped for 10 minutes as doctors rushed onto the pitch to treat him.
Recognizing the seriousness of the moment, the players of both sides rallied as one to form a shield around Harawira-Naera to give him some privacy as medical experts rushed onto the pitch.
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart rushed to the sideline to check on the player’s well-being.
But a month after the incident, while it appears the great striker is recovering physically, he has revealed that his son now no longer wants to play the game.
Corey Harawira Naera (pictured) had an eye-popping game just before falling to the ground, which may have been due to a tackle on Michael Chee Kam going a little wrong
At the time of the seizure, players from both South Sydney and Canberra formed a protective ring around him as he lay undergoing treatment
“Giving the game away came to mind when it first happened,” he told the Daily telegram.
“It was a shock and my family felt the same way.
“The part that really got to me was my five-year-old son. He saw it on TV and doesn’t want to play football anymore. Luckily he wasn’t at the game.’
The actual cause of the seizure is not yet known, as the way he collapsed and his movements during the seizure are consistent with neural activity, but his blood count suggests it may have come from the heart.
Footage of his collapse was seen by all the fans watching and everyone felt sickened and saddened by Harawira-Naera’s health problems.
He has elevated levels of enzymes in his blood (an indicator of heart problems), which has delayed testing procedures for the final diagnosis.
“The blood tests showed there was inflammation around the heart from the attack,” the attacker said.
“We’ll just wait for the enzyme levels to drop and then I’ll see a cardiologist.
“It’s a little frustrating because it’s been a month this weekend. I feel much better, but I have no answers.
“The doctors are still trying to rule out several things.”
Rothfield also spoke to Kiwi and Canberra Raiders club doctor Greg Macleod.
“He’s being tested all the time to make sure we’re not overlooking anything serious,” the doctor admitted.
‘Elevated enzymes are an indication that the heart is under some strain. Therefore, we treat it with some caution. We just need to figure out what’s causing it.
“When you watch the video, it looks more like something neurological than heart.
“He’s had a seizure, but he doesn’t collapse and have a seizure, which is the usual heart story. He has a seizure and then collapses.”
The Kiwi is pleased with his progress and has high hopes of returning to the paddock later this season
Dr. Macleod hopes to play again this year.
“He’s done a lot of things that were reassuring,” he said.
“He’s doing really well.”
The Kiwi-born forward hopes to return to play by the end of the year, but he, doctor and coach Ricky Stuart, will not let that happen unless he is 100 per cent clear of all medical issues.
“Corey’s health is much more important than any football game,” said coach Stuart.
“We will make sure we get a full medical clearance before he even thinks about playing or doing contact training. The signs look encouraging, but we have to go through the process.”