Easton “Tank” Oliverson, the 12-year-old Little League player who was hospitalized in critical condition after falling from a bunk bed last weekend, is no longer in intensive care but still facing challenges, his family said Friday on Instagram.
“The swelling in his face has gone up, and the doctors have told his parents that it will get worse,” an Instagram account set up to share updates about his recovery said in a Friday afternoon post. “This has limited Easton’s ability to see, creating a unique challenge for him,” the post by @miraclesfortank added.
Easton is a member of the Snow Canyon Little League all-star baseball team — Utah’s first team to reach the Little League World Series, representing the Mountain Region.
Sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning he fell from his top bunk onto a hardwood floor at a player dormitory in Williamsport, Pa., just a few days before his team’s first game in the annual baseball tournament.
After the 6-foot fall, he was transported by helicopter to Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in nearby Danville, about 35 miles southeast of Williamsport.
Easton sustained a head injury and remained in the ICU for most of the week, but according to a Thursday post, he was transferred to a regular room, where he managed to sit in a chair “and was able to stand up and take two steps with support.” He was also able to drink and feed himself and communicate “more frequently with his mom, dad, and uncles who have been at the hospital with him.”
“He is making great strides, and we as a family couldn’t be more grateful. At this time, we would like to ask specifically for prayers of understanding and peace for Easton as he comes to learn of and accept the situation that he is now in,” according to the Instagram post.
On Friday, Easton watched Friday’s game between his team and Tennessee’s Nolensville Little League from his hospital room — while dressed in his Mountain Region gear.
“Rightfully so, this was a very emotional afternoon for him,” the post said, adding that even though “we have seen a countless amount of miracles in Easton’s journey (and still are), he is still going to have hard moments like today.”
On Saturday, Tampa Bay Ray manager Kevin Cash sent a heartfelt video message to the young player, which was shared on the @miraclesfortank account.
“We’ve been keeping up with your progress and just want to let you know that you have fans that you have never met in Florida who are really rooting for you,” Cash said.
“I remember how excited I was to have a chance to play in the Little League World Series. There’s something about baseball that brings people together. It’s like an extended family. We’re here for each other to celebrate the wins and we encourage each other during challenging times. Tank, we are sending positive thoughts and well-wishes to you and the Snow Canyon Little League,” he added.
