For some people, sports are a very important part of their lives. For Braden Langwith (11), this is especially true.

Langwith has played soccer his entire life since he was only 5 years old and was preparing to make varsity next year, for his senior year. But on Oct. 15 he went into cardiac arrest on the field at Chaminade College Prep. He later found out he had an underlying condition with his heart and can never play again.

It was a very hot day, and Langwith was already dealing with recovering from an ankle sprain. 

“It was already a push to play that game,” Langwith said.

The game started off rocky with the coach getting a red card and the Eagles were losing 2-0 and there were only a few minutes left in the game.

The other team had the throw in so Langwith ran up the field to get the ball, the ball hit his chest and he immediately fell to the ground.

Langwith didn’t move at all.  Langwith’s heart had stopped and he was passed out for around 10 minutes. The athletic trainer from Chaminade shocked him with an AED and gave him CPR. Also there was a doctor and a nurse in the stands, and they quickly rushed over to help. Langwith finally woke up inside of an ambulance.

The paramedics cut off his jersey in the ambulance to put him on some machines. His parents were also at the game and rushed to the hospital. 

“I was confused, I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life, so I froze and my eyes were wide open. I saw people rushing over so I knew something was wrong,” Sam Ayala (11) said.

The coach was very worried and hopped the fence while all of this was happening. But because he had a red card, the referee told the coach he had to get off the field. 

Langwith missed school for around three weeks while recovering. The doctors told him that this would have happened at any time and he was lucky it happened with medical professionals present. If it had happened in his sleep, he would have passed.

Langwith was told he could never play soccer again because of the risk of something worse happening. The team was told what had occurred and they were very disappointed in the fact that he can’t play anymore but they were all relieved to find out he was OK. The team was very much in shock from the whole situation. 

One of Langwith’s best friends, Sid, was playing with him that day.

“I had Sid at my house and we were telling him more stuff and he just looked like he’d seen a ghost,” Langwith said.

Langwith underwent a surgery to place an ICD in his chest for a pacemaker. That way, if his heart stops again it will shock him and force it to keep going.

The doctors still don’t know what’s wrong with Langwith’s heart, so he still has to get some genetic testing.

The players on the team all posted for Langwith with the team picture of his jersey being held up with #Bradenstrong to show support in his recovery.

Langwith is currently back at school laughing with his friends and having a smooth recovery.