Former Blues player on life support after open heart surgery
The Blues are among those sending their hopes and prayers to Matt Johnson as their former midfielder fights for his life after undergoing open heart surgery.
Rheumatic fever, a disease that attacks the heart’s valves, almost claimed Johnson’s life at 13.
In pursuit of his rugby dream the 26-year-old Manurewa-raised league player underwent two previous heart operations.
Johnson was recruited out of St Peter’s College by the Melbourne Storm, only for that stint to be cut short by the club after nine months due to his heart condition.
Johnson refused to give up his dream and impressed during the 2017 provincial season for Southland to earn a contract with the Blues in 2018.
The following year he shifted to Northland but heart issues have been a constant companion, curtailing his promising career.
In a series of posts Johnson’s fiancé, Sky Sport commentator, presenter and rugby player Taylah Hodson-Tomokino, detailed the recent events which led to Johnson being placed in an induced coma.
“Nine weeks ago, Matty started getting fevers and stomach pains. After going to his GP, they couldn’t find anything wrong,” Hodson-Tomokino explained.
“Weeks went by and his symptoms were coming & going. Two weeks ago, we went to the hospital after Matty was shivering uncontrollably and had stomach pains.
“They told him he was probably just “blocked up” and gave him laxatives. They had no reason to believe it was his heart as he passed all the usual tests: ECG’s, Echo tests etc. His heart was in perfect working condition and his Aortic Valve that was replaced in 2018 was more or less perfect.
“The fevers didn’t stop and last week an infection was found in his blood. A Transoesophageal Echocardiography was done, just to double check his heart.
“Unfortunately, a vegetation was seen growing on his valve as a result of the infection. The medical term is Endocarditis. Furthermore, a CT scan was done. The first came up clear and we were hopeful it could be treated with antibiotics.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8yBchJFfI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
“A second CT scan was done and it was revealed that the vegetation had caused a huge abscess over his Left Ventricular Outflow Tract (LVOT).
“The abscess had also formed a hole on the LVOT so surgery was his only option. Bits and pieces of the vegetation on his valve were breaking off every time his heart was beating. Fragments of it had reached his kidneys which is why he had the stomach pains and the doctors feared it would reach his brain and cause a stroke.
“If the abscess burst, it would have sent him in to septic shock. If we didn’t operate, it would prove fatal, so we were left with no choice.
“At 7am on Tuesday 2nd June, Matty went in to surgery.
“The surgeons were able to drain the abscess on the LVOT, fix the hole, replace the diseased valve and perform grafts to widen his coronary arteries. At 2pm they tried to take him off the bypass machine, however, his heart wouldn’t start. They then operated again and did as much as they could.
“The left chambers in his heart were working great, but the right was weak. They tried multiple times to get him off the bypass but they were unable to.
“After 19 long hours the surgeons tried multiple times to get his heart pumping but the right side is struggling too much. Matt sustained heavy bleeding which is not clotting so the surgeons have left his chest open and will go back into surgery if the bleeding doesn’t stop.
“While his sternum is open they need to take immediate action, he will be placed in an induced coma until further notice. We love you all and thank you for keeping my spirits high.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8iFmiHYh4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
While Johnson remains on life support, Hodson-Tomokino hinted at positive news today as he had stopped bleeding after going through eight donated blood bags – the entire body volume of blood two times over.
“We’ve passed the first hurdle the next is to get his heart pumping on its own. This is the best news as we were told that we were not likely to see any improvements in his condition and to expect the worst.”
In the latest update Hodson-Tomokino said there would be no procedures on Wednesday which gives Johnson’s heart time to rest and strengthen for his next attempt to come off life support.
Johnson’s conditions has led to an outpouring of messages from former teammates including Patrick Tuipulotu, Rieko Ioane, Jerome Kaino, James Parsons and Dalton Papalii.
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to comments