Fabrice Muamba

[Forever Green]

Reading reports that his condition is improving with him now able to recognise family members and having free movement of his legs and arms. The worrying thing is that cardiac arrest seems to becoming much more prevalent in the GAA and soccer. Can`t they detect these problems in the soccer players when they are having their medicals etc? Are todays training methods proving too much for players to handle and pushing their bodies over the limit?

Anyway, all the best to Fabrice Muamba, hopefully he pulls through

[SLIGONIAN]

Reading reports that his condition is improving with him now able to recognise family members and having free movement of his legs and arms. The worrying thing is that cardiac arrest seems to becoming much more prevalent in the GAA and soccer. Can`t they detect these problems in the soccer players when they are having their medicals etc? Are todays training methods proving too much for players to handle and pushing their bodies over the limit?

Anyway, all the best to Fabrice Muamba, hopefully he pulls through

This has been debated on the sudden death syndrome thread in gaa discussion, i agree with your sentiments but from my understanding of what others said on that thread its very hard to detect. Ive caught a few news reports on this issue and ecg might not show up heart defects. The cardiologist all say though its cardiac arrest and defect related if you heart stops in your 20s or 30s. They say it could be muscle and interestingly could the electrolytes in the heart that cause it. Scary. Thooughts and prayers with Muamba at present and all those affect by this conditon.

Heart screening is the way forward and hopefully some system will be put in place to prevent but remember muamba had 2 heart screenings with england u21s and bolton.....so its not full proof.

[Forever Green]

Jesus, I always thought they could have showed up on some sort of scan. Doesn`t look good but I hope they can find something that detects these problems in the near future

[ONeill]

This is a quite remarkable story, or the initial reports (and even today on SSN) were wide of the mark. If his heart had stopped beating for the length of time reported, there's just no chance (or extremely little) that his brain and other organs could be functioning properly. Yet it seems he's talking now.

[Dinny Breen]

This is a quite remarkable story, or the initial reports (and even today on SSN) were wide of the mark. If his heart had stopped beating for the length of time reported, there's just no chance (or extremely little) that his brain and other organs could be functioning properly. Yet it seems he's talking now.

He was blessed that there was an immediate response from the medics, a cardiologist in the crowd and been so close to one of the best heart attack units in the UK. Amazing story that will hopefully have a happy ending. The kid will never play football again though but a small price to pay.

[AFS]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17429446

[ONeill]

This is a quite remarkable story, or the initial reports (and even today on SSN) were wide of the mark. If his heart had stopped beating for the length of time reported, there's just no chance (or extremely little) that his brain and other organs could be functioning properly. Yet it seems he's talking now.

He was blessed that there was an immediate response from the medics, a cardiologist in the crowd and been so close to one of the best heart attack units in the UK. Amazing story that will hopefully have a happy ending. The kid will never play football again though but a small price to pay.

This fellow addresses it. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4emaeI9v7o

[clarshack]

This is a quite remarkable story, or the initial reports (and even today on SSN) were wide of the mark. If his heart had stopped beating for the length of time reported, there's just no chance (or extremely little) that his brain and other organs could be functioning properly. Yet it seems he's talking now.

He was blessed that there was an immediate response from the medics, a cardiologist in the crowd and been so close to one of the best heart attack units in the UK. Amazing story that will hopefully have a happy ending. The kid will never play football again though but a small price to pay.

Evander Sno who once played for celtic collapsed after taking a heart attack playing for ajax reserves in september 2010. he was able to resume training not long after:

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/6403628/

Also, did they not find a heart defect with Kanu when he was at inter milan? and he was able to play again.

[Dinny Breen]

Kanu had a heart defect repaired by an operation, a heart attack is not the same as a cardiac arrest, a heart attack is a blocked artery whereas a cardiac arrest is the heart basically completely stops working. Clive Clarke had a cardiac arrest and never played again, I just can't see any medical team giving Muamba the all clear to play high intensity professional sport.

[Puckoon]

Dead for 78 minutes according to the Bolton Wanderer's Doctor.

Amazing story.

[Minder]

I have to say i agree with a lot of this, on Twitter they were tripping over themselves since Saturday.


The Times - Matthew Syed

Fabrice Muamba is a terrific player and, by all accounts, a rather inspirational young man. His life has been a fascinating and revelatory one, starting in war-torn Zaire and culminating with a blossoming career as a Premier League footballer.
When he fell to the turf on Saturday evening, with no player within touching distance, a quiver of trepidation reverberated around White Hart Lane. When the defibrillators were brought on, this hardened into fear.
It was an unnerving and chastening few minutes, and not just for the fans. His Bolton Wanderers team-mates and their opponents, Tottenham Hotspur, watching from a few yards away as the desperate medical operation ensued, were understandably mortified. It was right for the match to be abandoned.
Since then, however, there have been dozens of displays of solidarity for Muamba, who remains in hospital. Gary Cahill, a former team-mate of Muamba at Bolton, wore a T-shirt with the message "Pray 4 Muamba" on it, which he revealed after scoring for Chelsea in their match against Leicester City. Real Madrid wore shirts before kick-off against Málaga that read "Get Well Soon Muamba". Andrea Pirlo, the midfielder, dedicated Juventus's 5-0 victory over Fiorentina to the Bolton player. He said it was a sign of respect.
A number of Premier League footballers visited Muamba in hospital. At football grounds around the country, wreaths, cards and teddy bears have been laid in his honour. Tributes were observed at matches on Sunday and Bolton were rumoured to be considering withdrawing from the FA Cup altogether, although this possibility has abated. The Twittersphere remains awash with messages of support.
Of course, sentiments of grief and, for that matter, concern are natural and, in their way, admirable. It is understandable that those within football, and beyond, are distraught about a player who has been in a fight for his life, even if it is jarring that many within the game seem to regard these expressions as a reason for self-congratulation.
But the wider question is: where does it all stop? At what point does grief morph into something different and rather more questionable? Think back to the tragic passing of Gary Speed. On that fateful Sunday, matches were preceded by a one-minute round of applause for the former Wales captain. Fans sang "There's only one Gary Speed" and left bouquets outside the grounds of clubs he had graced as a player. It was a spontaneous response, and reflected profound shock. But, as with Muamba, this was only the beginning.
One week later, a minute's applause was observed at matches up and down the land. Wreaths were laid at Elland Road and Bramall Lane, once home grounds for Speed, and images of the Wales manager were displayed on a screen at the Euro 2012 draw. A minute's applause was held at a rugby union match between Wales and Australia at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Yet the tribute at St James' Park in December topped it all. Before Newcastle United's match against Swansea City, Gwyn Hughes Jones, a Welsh opera singer, gave a rendition of Bread of Heaven as tens of thousands of fans sang from hymn sheets. This was followed by a minute's applause and chants of "Speedo". As the clock hit 11 minutes, the Scarves For Speedo campaign continued with fans waving scarves above their heads. The campaign, which was begun by Leeds United fans to reflect Speed's shirt number, called for every ground in the country to perform a similar tribute after 11 minutes.
All of which is well and good, perhaps, but it also raises: do these rituals any longer have anything to do with grief? What happened to quiet reflection, the inward coming to terms with the loss of a loved one, or a cherished icon? It is almost as if grief has morphed from a private emotion into a very public competition. Who can display their hurt most graphically? Who can deliver the most extravagant tribute? This is not merely about sentimentality; it is about the fetishisation of grief.
It is as if, in this post-Diana age, we have started measuring the scale of inner hurt by the scale of public anguish. It will no longer do for anyone, following Tennyson, to "dwell quietly".
So vigilantly is this new idea of grief policed that Manchester United were pilloried on Twitter for not issuing a public statement regarding Muamba. Regardless of the facts, this shows just how far we have travelled from the idea of grief as a spontaneous expression of loss. Now, it would seem, we think that it can be manufactured — even enforced — by cultural decree.
And this is deeply dubious. This is not about Muamba; it is about a shift that has taken grief into the territory of soap opera.
Perhaps it is no surprise that Muamba's family has asked for non-Bolton footballers to refrain from visiting the hospital. The influx of Premier League stars, carefully snapped by waiting photographers, had created unstoppable momentum.
There is also a sense in which the grief-stricken are required to get the tone just right. After the death of Diana, Tony Blair, famously, stood outside the church in his constituency and uttered the words that sealed his reputation as the great architect of public sentiment: "the people's princess", and all that.
In many ways, his words helped the nation, articulating — as they did — the real sense of public shock. But they also set a precedent that has been less benign. Anybody who is asked to comment on the passing of a public figure seems to feel the need to demonstrate their empathy, not with an expression of genuine anguish, but with a beautifully crafted cameo. But this is not grief; it is choreography.
None of this is to decry sympathy, concern, empathy or any other uplifting human emotion. It is merely to challenge the way in which grief, as an idea and an emotion, has become distorted. Everybody hopes that Muamba recovers; that goes without saying.
But our solidarity with him is not measured by the number of cancelled games or by the number of manufactured tributes.
It is measured, far more accurately and meaningfully, in hearts and minds.

[ross4life]

Dead for 78 minutes according to the Bolton Wanderer's Doctor.

Amazing story.

Something else, good to hear he's on the road to recovery.

[Tony Baloney]

Syed is a good hack. Pieces are always well measured and definitely a lot in it.

Noel Gallagher famously said of Diana's death "Half the people wouldn't visit their grandmother's grave...then they go and throw flowers at the coffin of some bird they've never met".

[imtommygunn]

In school we have offered the heart scanning to all students.  We brought in Healthy Hearts Healthy Lives and offered a subsidised scan to all over age 14. They came for three days and scanned over 200 lads.  It was a very professional service and anyone who needed help was dealt with immediately and received a consultant's appointment.  Based on the results, it was an extremely worthwhile exercise, we will do the same next year and we are considering making it mandatory for anyone playing any sport for the school. 

I cannot recommend it highly enough and the work carried out by Healthy Hearts healthy Lives personnel both in their work in the school and with parents.

http://www.healthyheartshealthylives.com/

You say it was very worthwhile - were there many came out with issues and what do they do if they have?

Definitely worthwhile - would fairly alarm you / parents if something showed up.

[Tony Baloney]

In school we have offered the heart scanning to all students.  We brought in Healthy Hearts Healthy Lives and offered a subsidised scan to all over age 14. They came for three days and scanned over 200 lads.  It was a very professional service and anyone who needed help was dealt with immediately and received a consultant's appointment.  Based on the results, it was an extremely worthwhile exercise, we will do the same next year and we are considering making it mandatory for anyone playing any sport for the school. 

I cannot recommend it highly enough and the work carried out by Healthy Hearts healthy Lives personnel both in their work in the school and with parents.

http://www.healthyheartshealthylives.com/

Must be hard to justify when budgets are being slashed in schools. Great thing to do thougg.