A photo of Little League team member Easton Oliverson of the Mountain Region, of Santa Clara, Utah, is displayed on the scoreboard at Volunteer Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Little League World Series baseball tournament in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Wednesday, Aug. December 17, 2022. Oliverson was injured when he fell from a bunk bed in the dormitory complex. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
AP
WILLIAMSPORT, Dad.
The family of a 12-year-old Utah Little League World Series player who suffered a head injury after falling from the top bunk of his bed in the dormitory complex said Thursday that he has been released from intensive care and is able to sit up. , eat and walk with support.
Easton Oliverson, a pitcher and outfielder for the Snow Canyon team from Santa Clara, Utah, sustained the injury on Monday and was hospitalized in critical condition on Tuesday.
But according to a post Thursday on an Instagram account the family set up to share updates, he is now back in a standard hospital room, communicating with his parents, Jace and Nancy, and other family members.
A video accompanying the post also showed Easton drinking and feeding himself.
“We are amazed at his strength and willingness to try new things,” the post said. “He has communicated more often with his mother, father and uncles who have been in the hospital with him. His voice is noticeably clearer when he talks! He asked Nancy about his hair and why he was there.’
The Santa Clara team, for which Jace Oliverson is also an assistant coach, was the first from Utah to make the Little League World Series. It represents the Mountain Region and will play its first game on Friday against the Nolensville, Tennessee, team representing the Southeast Region.
Little League World Series officials also announced in a statement on Thursday that Snow Canyon filled Easton’s open roster spot with his brother, Brogan Oliverson.
Little League said adding an eligible player is common in certain situations, including medical absence. The move has been approved by the tournament committee and Brogan will be eligible to play in Friday’s game.
The boy’s uncle, Spencer Beck, has served as a family spokesperson, telling The Associated Press on Tuesday that Easton fell off the bed while he was sleeping and hit his head.
“The teammates heard him fall, thank goodness,” Beck said in a telephone interview. “When they had surgery, the doctor spoke to Jace and said if he hadn’t had the surgery, but 30 minutes later, he would have been dead.”
The family set up a Venmo account for the kid nicknamed “Tank” to help with bills and expenses.
“He is making great strides and we as a family couldn’t be more grateful,” the Instagram statement read.
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