SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — A Little League player from Utah continues to recover after suffering a serious head injury.
Easton Oliverson was able to take a few steps down the hospital hallway with help from two nurses.
Easton underwent surgery at Geisinger after falling out of his bunk bed at the Little League complex on Monday.
The doctor we spoke with says Easton's case was about as severe as it gets when it comes to a brain injury.
It's hard not to smile when watching 12-year-old Easton Oliverson take his first steps at Geisinger Janet Weis Children's Hospital, especially knowing just how sick the boy was earlier this week.
Easton was flown to Geisinger early Monday morning after falling out of a bunk bed at the Little League World Series complex.
Geisinger Dr. Frank Maffei is on Easton's care team and says the child's condition was severe.
"He went from ED to the CAT scanner to the OR in literally a matter of 12 to 14 minutes. We believe that's what saved his life. We really did not have much time to spare because he was showing among the worst prognostic features of an epidural hematoma in a child."
Dr. Maffei says Easton had an epidural hematoma, which causes bleeding between the skull and brain.
In Easton's case, every second counted. To put it in perspective, the Glasgow Coma Scale is used to measure a person's level of consciousness after a brain injury.
"Generally, it's graded from 3 to 15, and he was a 3 or 4. It was boding for a very difficult course."
It was all hands on deck to save the boy from Utah.
"You probably would have about 50 individuals that in some way touched this child's life in the first 24 hours."
Dr. Maffei says Easton's condition improved by the hour, and within 24 hours, he was taken off the ventilator.
"What we have seen is a remarkable recovery," Dr. Maffei said. "Truly, a remarkable recovery."
Dr. Maffei stressed the importance of following all recommendations when it comes to bunk beds, making sure they have rails on the top bunk.
A spokesperson for Little League said after this incident, all bunk beds were pulled apart.