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Utah boy, 12, is ‘alert and talking’ after suffering brain bleed and a fractured skull falling out of bunk bed days ahead of his Little League World Series debut… as his favorite player, Mookie Betts, sends his prayers
- A 12-year-old Utah boy is alert and speaking after suffering a brain bleed
- Easton Oliverson was days away from his Little League World Series debut
- Oliverson fell out of his bunk in the team dormitory in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
- He suffered a fractured skull and was rushed to the hospital for surgery
- Oliverson is making tremendous progress, according to his family
- His younger brother took his place on the team, which plays its first game Friday
- Oliverson’s favorite player, Dodgers star Mookie Betts, made a video for him
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A 12-year-old Utah boy is alert and speaking just days after undergoing emergency surgery to repair a skull fracture and brain bleed he suffered falling out of a bunk bed as his baseball team was days away from making its Little League World Series debut.
Easton Oliverson, a pitcher and outfielder for the Snow Canyon team from Santa Clara, was sleeping in a Pennsylvania dormitory bunk bed early Monday morning when he fell, fracturing his skull. Although he was initially alert, his conditioned soon worsened, according to family members.
He was then rushed to a local hospital near Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where doctors found that a piece of skull fragment had punctured an artery, causing bleeding in his brain, the boy’s uncle told the Salt Lake Tribune.
Now, after what his family described as a ‘pretty traumatic surgery,’ Oliverson is alert and beginning to speak.
Easton Oliverson, 12, is pictured being fed following his emergency surgery earlier this week
‘We couldn’t be more proud of our Easton, and more grateful for the prayers that have helped him get to this point,’ read an update on OIiverson’s Facebook page.
‘He is no longer sedated, and starting to wake up more! He asked for water this morning. The doctors said that this is good because it usually takes a week or two for patient’s to usually have the desire to eat or drink after having gotten their breathing tube out!
‘He pulled out his feeding tube in the middle of the night (little stinker),’ the update continued. ‘They put it back in this morning, and have been working on giving him more food through the tube.’
Oliverson even mouthed the words ‘I love you’ to his parents, Jace and Nancy.
Snow Canyon will make its Little League World Series debut in Williamsport on Friday at 3pm. Oliverson’s father, Jace, is an assistant coach on the club, and has encouraged his son’s teammates to continue to play in the celebrated annual tournament.
Oliverson’s family thanked everyone for the ‘love, support, and prayers,’ including a video from Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts, the Little Leaguer’s favorite player. ‘Hey Easton, this is Mookie Betts,’ the two-time World Series winner began. ‘I just want you to know that we are praying for you, thinking of you, and I hope to see you soon, my man’
Oliverson’s family thanked everyone for the ‘love, support, and prayers,’ including a video from Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts, the Little Leaguer’s favorite player.
‘Hey Easton, this is Mookie Betts,’ the two-time World Series winner began. ‘I just want you to know that we are praying for you, thinking of you, and I hope to see you soon, my man.’
Oliverson’s younger brother Brogan, an alternate for the team, has been invited to replace Easton, according to the family.
Snow Canyon is the first Little League team from Utah to reach this stage 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,’ Oliverson’s uncle, Spencer Beck, told the Salt Lake Tribune. ‘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.”