At the beginning of a dream trip to the Little League World Series, a Utah team from Santa Clara is suddenly dealing with a nightmare.
Easton Oliverson, a 12-year-old player on the Snow Canyon Little League baseball team, was flown to a Pennsylvania hospital for emergency surgery after falling off the top bunk of a bed overnight and suffering a severe head injury.
“He went through pretty traumatic surgery to get to where he’s at, but the doctors are all really positive,” said Spencer Beck, Oliverson’s uncle. “All of the steps moving forward have been good so far.”
Beck and the rest of Oliverson’s family have been waiting and hoping for good news since they first learned of the accident about 2:30 a.m. on Monday.
“Just a really simple thing — something that we’ve all probably done is fall off the bed,” Beck said. “But he hit his pretty hard, it sounds like.”
Beck said one of Oliverson’s teammates was awoken by his fall and promptly sought help.
“Had that other player not been wakened by him falling, he may not have made it,” Beck said.
Oliverson was taken to a children’s hospital where he underwent surgery. He is still asleep and recovering in the intensive care unit. Beck said doctors are waiting for the swelling in his brain to go down.
Beck said the last he heard, the rest of the team was in shock, just like everyone else. He added the team still held practice because “I’m sure that’s what Easton would want.”
“I know that they’ll have him at the forefront of their thoughts and hearts,” Beck said.
At present, there are no plans to start a specific fundraising campaign for Oliverson, Beck said. Those closest to him are waiting to see how his recovery goes first.
Beck described Oliverson as a person who also loves fishing and started wrestling this past season. He also said his nephew is “very thoughtful for a 12-year-old.” Oliverson likes to look after his younger siblings as well, Beck said.
A fan on Monday shared a website where fans can buy hats to support Snow Canyon. The proceeds will go to help the players’ parents get to Willamsport, Pa., for the Little League World Series and also to help the Oliverson family.
The Snow Canyon team is scheduled to play its first game of the Little League World Series on Friday at 1 p.m. on ESPN.
