Chicago White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar is speaking out for the first time since he was released from the hospital afterexperiencing a ruptured brain aneurysmduring a game on April 20.
In an interview withGood Morning Americathat aired Friday,Farquhar, 31, said doctors were amazed about his recovery so far, as ruptured brain aneurysms can kill many of the people who experience them.
“I had a few doctors call me a miracle,” Farquhar toldABC Newsof his recovery from that terrifying day he says he doesn’t remember. “[They tell me] how lucky I am to be as functional as I am.”
Farquhar had just stepped off the mound during the sixth inning of Chicago’s game against the Houston Astros when he vomited and collapsed in the dugout. He received medical attention from staff at the stadium before he wastransported to the intensive care unit at Rush University Medical Center,where doctors discovered he had experienced the ruptured brain aneurysm. He remained in the hospital for weeks until he was released in early May.
Ruptured brain aneurysms occur when there is a bulging spot on an artery in the brain, which weakens over time as blood flows against it, according to theBrain Aneurysm Foundation.This bulge can then swell and rupture as pressure builds, releasing blood around the brain.
Aneurysms are mostprevalent in people 35 to 60 years old, the foundation says, and an estimated 6 million people in the United States have an un-ruptured brain aneurysm. Of the people who experience a rupture, 40 percent will die, and 66 percent of those who survive will experience neurological problems.
Farquhar said he has thought about how fortunate he is to have experienced the medical emergency with help readily available. If he were alone when it happened, things could be very different today.
He added: “But, obviously, all the prayers that everybody had for me, you know, had some sort of effect… And God has a plan for me, I just don’t know what it is yet.”
Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Though he has been cleared to do activities and “anything” he would like, he has not been given the go ahead to pitch in a professional game just yet — that will likely have to wait until next season.
“He’s been true to himself and how his body feels,” his wife, Lexie, toldABC News. “He understands that a setback in this will mean a lot more. You can’t just push through the pain.”
White Sox pitcher Nate Jones echoed the shared amazement of Farquhar’s recovery when he visited his teammate in the hospital in May.
“None of us in here knew what to expect, and to be where he’s at today, it’s a miracle. It’s pretty awesome to see,” Jones recently toldMLB.com.“He’s a moving, functional human being. He’s Danny.”
Tom Szczerbowski/Getty
Farquhar is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers — and he says it will be his first time throwing a baseball since the ordeal. (So far, he’s only thrown lightweight Wiffle balls to his kids.)
While it might be a while before he pitches in an actual game, Farquhar says he is fortunate to still be alive: “The positives are just the outlook on my life and children. You know, how lucky I am to be here.”
source: people.com
