ATLANTA — The son of former Atlanta Braves infielder Keith Lockhart, who has been fighting for his life after he was hit in the face with a baseball, is now awake after several procedures.
Jason Lockhart, 15, was hit on June 17 when he was playing in a baseball tournament in South Carolina.
Channel 2 Action News has learned when Lockhart touched home plate, the catcher was throwing the ball back to the pitcher. It hit Jason in the face, breaking his nose.
In a Facebook post written by his sister, we learned Jason was initially given stitches but on June 19 when he visited the doctor's office for X-rays, his nose began to bleed profusely. Doctors could not stop the bleeding and even after going to urgent care, he was ultimately taken to the Scottish Rite hospital in Atlanta.
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A CT scan determined the fracture was more severe than doctors originally thought. The results showed a laceration on his artery.
After several procedures, Jason was put on life support.
In a message posted to Facebook Thursday, his sister Sydney said Jason is awake, but he is still having some issues.
“Last night/today has been far from restful. He is having these really distressing tremors that won't let him relax and sleep. His legs, feet, right hand, shoulders, chest, and even his head begin shaking and he cannot control it. This has been such a traumatic 11 days physically, mentally, and emotionally for our sweet Jason,” Sydney Lockhart said.
We are so happy that Jason is awake. We have seen his personality pop up a few times today and it has been so wonderful....
Posted by Sydney Lockhart on Thursday, June 29, 2017
Support has been flooding social media with messages from inside the baseball community to friends and family.
Keith Lockhart played several seasons for the Braves.
Braves Vice Chairman John Schuerholz issued a statement on Twitter offering prayers for Jason and his family and encouraged fans to do the same.
The family asks for prayers and support saying:
We are really staying positive that this is the best way to give Jason the most comfort possible and the least stress. Thank you again for standing with us in the biggest and scariest situation our family has ever encountered.
With Love and Appreciation,
The Lockhart family
Our top 3 requests or goals right now are:
1. Keeping Jason at this calm paralytic state with no movements
2. No bleeding
3. Making it to Monday and letting Jason's body do all the clotting itself
Cox Media Group
