Returning from the 'dead' to play again

HAVING gone into cardiac arrest and having been resuscitated four times back in August, Wales 7s international Morgan MacRae is hoping a medical device will breathe new life into what was a hugely promising rugby career.

- Jon Newcombe

MacRae, who is just 22 years of age, was literally stopped dead in his tracks whilst in his sleep at his brother’s house in Wimbledon in August. Thankfully his girlfriend woke up beside him and used her knowledge of CPR to help keep him alive for six minutes until the paramedics arrived with a defibrillator and, after 11 minutes and four attempts, managed to resuscitate MacRae.

The former Wasps and Scarlets academy player was taken to hospital and spent days in an induced coma at St George’s Hospital in nearby Tooting, and remained in ICU for a week before being transferred to the cardiac ward for a further two weeks.

While tests continue – there is no known cause at this time for the cardiac arrest – MacRae has been fitted with a subcutaneous (under the skin) implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) – similar to the one used by Danish footballer Christian Eriksen – and incredibly MacRae is going from strength to strength, partly down to his sheer determination to get back to full fitness.

MacRae now has his sights firmly set on playing again for his local club Henley Hawks, and then climb his way back up the professional ladder.

“I am extremely grateful that the cardiologists I had were both the main cardiologists responsible for Christian Eriksen and they were involved with him returning back to football and playing for Brentford. They are world-leading in their field of expertise” he said.