ARLINGTON, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) – A 16-year-old high school football player from Tennessee was hospitalized in the intensive care unit for days after he passed out at practice.
Joshua Henderson, a 16-year-old football player at Bolton High School, was being treated for a heat-related illness in the ICU at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis. His mother, Angel Henderson, says he passed out on the football field during practice last Monday, WMC reports.
Since then, the family’s lives have changed. Joshua Henderson was in the ICU for days, he was placed on a breathing machine and his mother says he is a different person.
Joshua Henderson, a 16-year-old high school football player, was hospitalized in the intensive care unit for days after he passed out at practice.(Source: Family)
“Pain, anger, hurt,” said Angel Henderson, as she described the feelings she went through while sitting with her son at the hospital.
The mother says she was at home when she received a call from the Bolton High football coach saying Joshua Henderson had passed out at practice.
“By the time I get there, my son is in the back of an ambulance, barely fitting on the gurney, lethargic, eyes closed and barely able to breathe,” she said.
Doctors say the cause of the incident was heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Angel Henderson wants answers on how this happened to her son at practice. She says she hasn’t heard much from the Memphis-Shelby County School District.
“None of the coaches have come to see him [Joshua]. They won’t give us answers,” she said. “My husband went to the school to pick up his effects from the practice and his phone. They didn’t even talk to him. They didn’t even say we are praying. They didn’t even say sorry. They just handed him his stuff, like he was nothing.”
Rudy Kink, pediatric emergency physician at the hospital, says all heat-related injuries are serious.
“Heat exhaustion is when you’re really dehydrated, your body’s still sweating a little bit, you’re able to communicate, talk – maybe a little bit lethargic or tired. Your temperature is usually under 103 degrees Fahrenheit,” he said.
Kink says having early morning practices or night practices will help prevent heat-related injuries. He adds that taking several breaks and drinking water will help student-athletes practicing in the heat.
The school district released the following statement regarding the incident:
“First and foremost, we want to extend our most sincere thoughts and prayers to this young man, his family, friends, and the entire Bolton High School football team and community. This is a difficult time, and our hearts are with all those affected as we continue to remain hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.
While we are not legally able to disclose specific details regarding the extent of the student’s condition, we remain in close and continuous contact with the family to ensure the student, his family, teammates and friends receive the best possible support that we can offer.
We are also taking all reasonable and necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of our student-athletes and staff during summer practices.”
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