A Yorkshire junior suffered a “small graze to the knuckles” on the hockey pitch before developing sepsis which at one point proved life threatening.
Jamie Clarke, 16, who plays for City of York men and has been picked for Future Cups, had originally suffered a minor injury on the pitch before being taken to hospital with what was believed to be Covid.
“During that incident where he nearly scored a goal he got a small graze on his knuckles, but I didn’t think anything of it,” Dr Jemimah Clarke, Jamie’s mum, told an NHS board of directors meeting in York this month.
Mrs Clarke revealed that the family had gone on a skiing holiday before Jamie had complained that he had strained his armpit. She said that he had woken the family one night in Italy where he was “breathing like Darth Vader”.
After being unable to get a Covid test, the Clarkes returned to the UK where Jamie immediately laid on the sofa before vomiting that night and becoming weak.
“He couldn’t finish his sentences or lift his arm up,” she told the NHS meeting, adding that he was taken into emergency surgery at hospital with doctors admitting that he was in a life-threatening condition.
“Jamie was so incredibly scared,” added Jemimah. “He had 15 minutes to worry before being given the general anaesthetic.”
However, following a successful operation, he returned to hockey shortly afterwards.
Jemimah said: “I can’t say enough about the care and attention that was given to Jamie, the personal interest, made such a difference to our family.
“He was in the right place and I didn’t feel that anything was going to get missed.”
Mark Chamberlain, interim chair of York’s hospital trust, told the meeting: “It is always important to be reminded of what we are here for.
“We are here to provide excellent care but also we are here to be kind.”
