A former Scottish Premiership footballer has advised how he thought he was going to die after collapsing throughout a match.
Ex- Kilmarnock midfielder Will Graham, 23, was enjoying for West of Scotland Soccer League Hurlford United in a pleasant in opposition to Maybole in July when he collapsed with a burst mind aneurysm. Talking for the primary time about his ordeal, Will admitted he thought he was going to die after being rushed to hospital by his dad.
He advised how in the course of the first half he was about to get in place for a throw in when he felt “an enormous warmth” the place the mind bleed occurred.
He mentioned: “I attempted to make an choice for my teammate who was taking the throw in however my legs simply wouldn’t go. My physique simply wouldn’t let me transfer. I should have run round for the subsequent minute and a half after which I shouted one thing to my teammate nevertheless it got here out as a mumble.
“I believed, ‘What did you say there Will?’. I attempted to say it once more and it nonetheless got here out as an entire mumble. As I attempted to shout, my legs began to present manner – they had been like jelly. It's the most horrific feeling I've ever skilled.
“I circled and the pitch began to spin and different gamers on the park began to see one thing wasn’t proper. I used to be making an attempt to ask for assist. I used to be saying to the referee and an opposition participant I wanted assist nevertheless it wasn’t popping out proper.
“By the second it felt as if my physique was draining and draining. I used to be in the midst of the pitch and thought, ‘I have to get to the supervisor and inform him one thing will not be proper’.
“I used to be on the breaking point. I attempted to stroll over and I collapsed into the arms of the assistant supervisor. I chucked my physique at him and mentioned, ‘I need assistance’.”
Will’s girlfriend, Emma Montgomery, got here working to the bench and sat him down as a result of his legs had been going.
He mentioned: “She thought I used to be having a hypo (a hypoglycaemia assault attributable to low blood sugar ranges) as a result of I had them earlier than however I knew immediately it was one thing totally different. They tried to get me to have a sugary drink however after about 5 minutes my face began to droop to at least one facet like I used to be having a stroke and so they realised it was extra critical.
“My speech went utterly, my head was spinning, my legs had gone and my physique was getting weaker and weaker. Somebody tried to name an ambulance however there have been none accessible so my dad went for the automobile.
“Our physio and goalie carried me to the automobile. I had no management of my physique, it was like dragging a useless physique for them. I couldn’t assist in any manner. It was a nightmare getting me in as a result of my left facet felt prefer it wasn’t mine. It was floppy, nothing was working.”
Dad Steven, 52, had been speaking to his youthful son Sam, 11, when Will collapsed so it took a minute or so earlier than he realised one thing was fallacious. He mentioned: “Initially I didn’t realise how critical it was however placing him within the automobile I knew there was one thing fairly badly fallacious.” Steven admitted he went into “autopilot” and doesn’t recall the journey to hospital.
He added: “Someway we simply acquired there. He's an actual boy for train so I believed maybe he simply hadn’t had sufficient sugar in him so it was a shock after they advised me what was fallacious.”
It's unknown how lengthy Will had the aneurysm nevertheless it was not soccer associated. As Will awaited the outcomes of an MRI scan he believed he was going to die.
He defined: “My girlfriend was standing on the finish of the mattress and all the things round her was going black. I used to be making an attempt to inform her, ‘Emma you're disappearing’. She mentioned I used to be reaching out to her however I couldn’t see her. I advised her, ‘I feel I'm dying’. I had accepted I used to be going to die. Loopy because it appears, I felt a way of peace over me. I believed, ‘This should be it, this should be when I'm going to die’.
“My physique felt all the things was being drained out of it as a result of the bleed was getting greater and greater.”
Will remembers nothing else till he awoke within the Queen Elizabeth College Hospital in Glasgow after mind surgical procedure. However simply six weeks later, Will is beginning to jog and has his sights fastened on resuming his profession.
He mentioned: “I'm completely getting there, simply someday at a time. I'm maintaining optimistic and appreciating the small issues.”
Will is aware of it will likely be a protracted street to restoration as he's nonetheless scuffling with basic items like studying and writing and though he has motion in his legs he nonetheless has no feeling on his left facet. However he has made exceptional progress, leaving hospital simply 12 days after his collapse – virtually two months forward of schedule.
He mentioned: “As a result of I'm now in rehab I really feel I'm mentally a lot stronger.” Will even has a deep religion which has helped him. He mentioned: “I imagine God has given me this battle for a cause and I'll get by means of the battle regardless of how lengthy it takes. I get up each morning and thank God day-after-day for an additional day of life.
“If I don’t play soccer once more that's God’s plan for me. But when a miracle was to occur and I used to be to return on the pitch I'd be so extremely grateful.”
●Hurlford arrange an enchantment to assist with Will’s rehabilitation at https://bit.ly/3DhMxhl
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