Yahoo Sports Little League World Series player awake, speaking after emergency surgery following bunk bed fall
The 12-year-old Little League World Series player who underwent emergency surgery earlier this week after falling from a bunk bed is now out of intensive care, eating and walking with support.
Easton Oliverson, a pitcher and outfielder for Utah’s Snow Canyon Little League team, was no longer sedated as of Wednesday.
By Thursday, his family shared on an Instagram account they launched that he had been moved to a standard room in the hospital. He was eating, drinking and walking with support, and has been able to "communicate more frequently" with his family and doctors.
"The Oliverson family firmly believes in the power of miracles through faith. We have seen this to be true so far in Easton’s recovery," they wrote, in part. "We are so grateful for the faith and prayers of everyone who is rooting for Easton. We know that miracles are happening in his recovery because of them!"
Oliverson fell from the top of a bunk bed early Monday morning, hours after his team had arrived in Williamsport, Pennsylvania for this year’s tournament. He sustained a serious head injury in the fall, and was airlifted to a children’s hospital for emergency surgery. His father said Tuesday that Oliverson punctured an artery, which prompted bleeding on the brain, and that he needed a piece of his skull removed.
“He went through pretty traumatic surgery to get to where he’s at, but the doctors are all really positive,” Spencer Beck, Oliverson’s uncle, told the Salt Lake Tribune. “All of the steps moving forward have been good so far.”
While Oliverson still has a long way to go, Wednesday’s update was a great sign. A Facebook page providing updates said he’s making “tremendous progress,” and that he’s been able to say his name and age, and eat a bit of pudding.
The Little League World Series has since pulled all bunk beds from the event, per Fox13.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts sent Oliverson a video wishing him well this week, something that made him cry.
Only on @GMA: MLB superstar @mookiebetts sends message to Utah little leaguer fighting for his life pic.twitter.com/y5w7yxusyh
— Matt Stone (@MattStoneABC) August 17, 2022
Snow Canyon is the first team from Utah to make it to the Little League World Series. It is set to play its first game in Williamsport on Friday afternoon.
