Mason Martin's family hold their breath as Karns City QB shows 'signs of life'
KARNS CITY, PENNSYLVANIA: Mason Martin, a quarterback for his Karns City High School football team in Pennsylvania, had to be rushed to the hospital after he collapsed on the field on Friday, September 1.
His family has now provided an update on his condition. They reportedly heaved a sigh of relief as the Karns City QB displayed "signs of life," per Daily Mail.
Is Mason Martin OK?
The 17-year-old football player was injured during a game and experienced "significant brain bleed" along with a collapsed lung, which put his life in danger.
However, in the past 24 hours, the young football player has moved his arms and his legs and had some reactions to light, according to a family update provided on Tuesday, September 5 on the Karns City Gremlin Football page.
Mason's mother, Stacy King Martin, who herself had been diagnosed with cancer, shared the update on Facebook.
"We have heard there are a lot of questions concerning Mason’s condition,” Stacy King began in her update, as she added, "Within the last 24 hours Mason has demonstrated some purposeful movement in his arms."
"His eyes have slightly reacted to light. He is also retracting his legs when his toes are pinched," Stacy noted in her update on her son's condition, continuing, "His lung has completely recovered and his chest tube has been removed."
Mason's mother continued, "We were waiting to give a social media update at the end of the week knowing he will have more test and changes throughout the week, but we wanted to clear up any rumors now."
"This is the first positive step in an extremely long journey. The prayer vigils held at the hospital and at Karns City have overwhelmed us with joy and motivation," she added.
Mason Martin's favorite bible verse
#LATEST: @KC_GremlinFball QB & @KCGremlin senior Mason Martin is fighting for his life at @UPMC Presbyterian after he collapsed at last night’s game
— Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) September 2, 2023
Family tells me he suffered a significant brain bleed & a collapsed lung - the next 24 hrs are critical
📸: Holly Mead@KDKA pic.twitter.com/hTiCZEbWLj
Mason's mother concluded her post with Jeremiah 29:11, which is her son's favorite verse from the Bible and stands for God's promise to offer people hope and a future.
"We ask for your continued prayers and support. Thanks again. Jeremiah 29:11," the mother concluded.
Martin loves this Bible scripture so much that he got it tattooed on his right thigh.
Moment Mason Martin collapsed during game
Although Martin continued to play after being struck in the third quarter, the referee, Mike Vasbinder, noticed him stumbling.
Martin collapsed around the same time Vasbinder blew the whistle to halt the game.
Everyone on the field and in the seats quickly knelt in Martin's honor and began to pray for him.
He was soon carried from the field in an ambulance before being transported by air to Pittsburgh's UMPC Presbyterian Hospital.
Their need for a miracle was expressed in his mother's initial Facebook message, which concluded with the same bible passage.
How much did Mason Martin's GoFundMe raise?
Two vigils were held for Martin by friends and family: one on Saturday night outside the hospital and the other on Sunday night at Diehl Stadium.
Social media users posted the hashtag "MasonStrong," which was also displayed on purple and yellow posters at the vigils.
A GoFundMe account was created for the family, and according to Penn Live, it had a $5,000 initial goal but closed on Monday after climbing to an incredible $14,000. Currently, the page has a $50,000 target with $41,320 raised with 654 donations.