Savy King Thanks the Medical Staff for Saving His Life
Angel City FC defender Savy King has expressed her deep gratitude to the medical team for saving her life last May. The player collapsed on the field during an NWSL match, generating concern in the world of soccer.
“They saved my life. That will remain forever in my heart. Knowing that I can play in front of them and seeing that they were a great reason why I am here, now I also play for them.”
Savy KingAlthough there is still no defined date for her return, it is expected that King will recover completely and return to play. The 20-year-old young soccer player collapsed without prior contact during a match at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on May 9.
She received medical attention on the field for more than 10 minutes, including chest compressions and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), before being transferred to the hospital, where doctors discovered a cardiac anomaly.
King underwent surgery a few days later.
“It was an incredible job by the medical team and the moment it happened, to be able to have the result we had.”
Sarah Smith, Director of High Performance at Angel City FC
Dr. Richard Kim, who led King’s medical team at the hospital, explained that the player was born with an anomalous left coronary artery. The medical team created a new pathway for blood to reach King’s artery.
“I never had any medical history of anything related to my heart,” King added.The May 9th match between Angel City and Utah Royals FC continued, which drew criticism from fans and the NWSL Players Association.
A week later, the NWSL admitted that the game should have been stopped and stated that “in any similar situation in the future, the game should and would be abandoned.”
The NWSLPA called the league’s admission and its promise of change in the future “a significant step forward.”
The NWSL resumes its regular season on August 1st, when Angel City visits Seattle Reign FC.
