SUMMARY
- Tom Lockyer is the captain of Luton Town, a team that's at the brim of relegation.
- Luton Town faced a setback after losing their key player to a serious health issue.
Tom Lockyer captains the newly promoted and high-flying Luton Town. Being in a grind mode to secure the survival of the Premier League. Luton Town fell into trenches for some moments after losing their captain due to a serious incident.
The serious incident that had happened was none other than a cardiac arrest. collapsed during the match against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. Lockyer learned that he was technically dead for 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
Tom Lockyer had two cardiac arrests within a year
Suffering one cardiac arrest is a horrendous situation for any human being. But to suffer such an incident twice in your life is not what any human would want. Having suffered his first cardiac arrest back in May 2023, Tom Lockyer suffered another one recently in December 2023. After suffering the same incident twice in a year, Lockyer is considered lucky to be alive, highlighting the rarity of surviving such an event.
Our medical staff have confirmed that the Hatters captain suffered cardiac arrest on the pitch, but was responsive by the time he was taken off on the stretcher.
He received further treatment inside the stadium, for which we once again thank the medical teams from both sides.… pic.twitter.com/YCTiHtH5Nx
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) December 16, 2023
Medics revived Lockyer, but he expressed that the lingering thought of what might have occurred continued to haunt him. Expressing his feelings on the situation, Lockyer said, “I’m super lucky because if this didn’t happen on a football pitch, there’s every chance I wouldn’t be here.”
Following a small operation, he returned to play and led Luton Town in the top league. He further even scored his inaugural goal in the Premier League. However, the second incident occurred on December 16 at Vitality Stadium. That incident has led him to stay away from action for the near future.
Tom Lockyer opens up on how his family felt during the situation
During the game against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, Lockyer had his family available during the game. Explaining who was at the game he said, “My girlfriend was at the game, and my dad.” Having his family by his side in such a situation was one of the best things that could have happened.
Explaining the situation and how his girlfriend helped him first he said, “She was looking at me when it happened, because the ball was elsewhere, and she’d seen me go down.” With his girlfriend looking at him she was crucial to the revival. Expressing how his wife felt Lockyer added, “She said instantly she knew that it was serious.”
Tom Lockyer’s wife also had her friend at the stadium. Her friend was the one who initiated the quick process. Lockyer said, “Her friend, who she was with, said she let out a massive scream that would live with her forever.”
He expressed everlasting gratitude to the medical staff who swiftly came to his rescue. He credited the amazing people who remained exceptional under pressure. Emphasizing that he wouldn’t be here today and wouldn’t have the privilege of eagerly anticipating the arrival of a baby girl without them.
Tom Lockyer explains how his defibrillator works
Having survived this situation twice in his life. In hopes of improving his quality of life, Tom Lockyer has opted for surgery. To maintain a healthy lifestyle Lockyer has had a defibrillator fit inside his body to maintain his heart rate.
Showing what is within his body he said, “So that’s my battle wound.” He further explained that his defibrillator sat within his body on the side of his chest. He said, “My defib sits in there as you can see.” With full wiring going through his chest, he added, “There’s a wire that runs across here [chest] and then up to the heart in case it ever needs to go off.”
Luton captain Tom Lockyer explains how his newly-fitted defibrillator will ‘give him a shock’ if his heart-rate goes outside of the normal parameters đź’ pic.twitter.com/pYFps3A5vF
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 20, 2024
Explaining how crucial the defibrillator is he added, “That’s constantly monitoring my heart rate and if it goes outside certain parameters. It’s designed to give me a shock.” The shock is vital for such a situation. It will help the heart to pump blood constantly at a smooth rate.
Explaining how long the defibrillator lasts Lockyer said, “The wire that runs up and I think that battery lasts 10 years.” With the battery lasting 10 years, Lockyer would need to have surgery every 10 years to stay fit and fine.
Surviving such a situation is crucial for any human being. Lockyer had a touching meeting with his teammates at Luton’s training ground last month. Marking his first visit since he collapsed. The defender aims to come back to top-tier football. He further mentioned that he would undergo more tests before receiving an answer.