A Winters Mill High School football player who collapsed on Friday during a game against St. John’s Catholic Prep has made “positive progress” since being admitted to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, according to a statement from the high school’s football program.
Greyson Lyons, a junior lineman for the Winter Mills Falcons in Westminster, did not get up off the ground after a defensive play late in the second quarter of a game hosted by St. John’s on Friday night.
Personnel performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him, did chest compressions and used a defibrillator. The game was halted, then suspended.
The young man’s heart failed while he was on the field, and it failed again when he arrived at the Shock Trauma Center, according to a message Lyons’ older brother, Grant Lyons, posted on an online fundraiser to support Greyson’s recovery.
In an update posted to the fundraiser at 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, Grant Lyons wrote that his younger brother was still recovering.
“It is very hard for him to speak but we did get a smile out of him,” Grant wrote. The post included a photo of Lyons in a hospital bed.
In his initial post to the fundraising page, Grant wrote that his brother was undergoing testing and was heavily sedated.
Lyons thoroughly enjoys playing football and dreams of playing in college, Grant wrote, but the likelihood of those dreams coming true are now “very slim.”
“Anything and everything is helpful at this point,” he wrote. “Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. And god bless.”
As of Monday afternoon, the fundraiser had brought in about $27,000, far surpassing the goal of $15,000. About 340 people had donated to the page, and its comment section was filled with messages of support for Lyons and his family, including from the families of St. John’s students.
A statement the Winters Mill High School football program posted on social media on Sunday said Lyons “has made positive progress” at the Shock Trauma Center.
“He is one of the top facilities in the country and we are confident he is receiving world-class treatment,” the statement said.
The program thanked the St. John’s community for its help for Lyons.
“We are eternally grateful for all of you,” the statement said. “Despite meeting as opposing teams in competition, you have earned our unending admiration, and we are fortunate to consider you our friend.”
This week, in a show of support to Lyons and his family, students at St. John’s will take part in different activities. They will wear ribbons Tuesday, sign a get well card Wednesday, make bracelets Thursday and “dress down” for $2 Friday. Proceeds will go to Lyons’ family, according to a Facebook post from St. John’s.
