Speaking to the media after Chiefs star BJ Thompson suffered from a seizure and went into cardiac arrest in a horrifying incident on Thursday, June 6, Chiefs head trainer Rick Burkholder explained that it was much-maligned Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker who was the first to run for help and bring medical professionals from the training room to Thompson when the incident occurred.
Burkholder, during his comments, noted that Thompson suffered from cardiac arrest and then explained how the team prepares for such emergencies to meet its NFL requirements. He said, “Just as a side note here, the NFL mandates that we do these emergency action plans for every team in the league, home away in your practice facilities, and then we’re mandated to practice multiple times a year. Ironically, we practiced on Monday with a group called Walters Incorporated, who comes in and educates us and goes through scenarios like we went through yesterday with BJ when he had this seizure.”
Continuing, Burkholder explained how Butker ran to the aid of Thompson by getting trainers from the training room and directed the medical team to Thompson. He explained, “Butker immediately ran towards the training room and grabbed Julie Frymeyer and David Glover, and then grabbed me. We went into the room. Eventually, Tiffany Morton and Evan craft came in, as well as with this facility, we have a doctor’s office down the hall, and Dr JP Darsh from Kansas University Health System was there. He came up and assisted.”
He then explained how the group of responders aimed to help Thompson, saying, “As a team, we we tried to stabilize BJ and then put him on the floor while [Thompson was] still seizing, and then he went into cardiac arrest. So our team of that group of people provided CPR for him. He had one, AED shock, and came back. So he was, he was only in cardiac arrest for probably less than a minute, minute and a half.
Burkholder further added, “Our players, our security staff, everybody involved, coaches, staff, they were they were phenomenal in handling the crisis. We then turned him over to [the Kansas City] Fire Department and the paramedics. Those paramedics do those practice sessions with us, so there was some familiarity there with those guys. And then he was taken to KU Hospital, where he was heavily sedated yesterday through the night, and then they brought him out of the sedation this morning.”
Concluding, Burkholder explained, “He was on a he was on a ventilator overnight, just so he could breathe, because he was so heavily sedated, that’s all out. He’s He’s alert, he’s awake, he’s he’s coming through quite well. We don’t have a diagnosis and and in medicine, sometimes you don’t have that. And then, like I said, he’s awake and alert and he’s headed in the absolute right direction.”
Watch Burkholder describe Butker’s role in saving Thompson here:
Butker, as a reminder stated, when speaking to Benedictine College students at their commencement, “For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.”
He continued, “How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”
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