Pirates fan who fell from PNC Park stands recovering "ahead of schedule"

3 days ago 6

Pirates instrumentality who fell from PNC Park stands recovering "ahead of schedule"

Pirates instrumentality who fell from PNC Park stands recovering "ahead of schedule" 02:16

Family members of Kavan Markwood, the Pittsburgh Pirates instrumentality who fell 21 feet from his spot successful close tract onto the informing way astatine PNC Park past week, and Allegheny General Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Al Philp person shared an update astir Markwood's ongoing recovery.

Dr. Philp noted that Markwood sustained injuries to respective parts of his body, including his skull, brain, spine, some sides of his ribs, and his lungs.

Despite the injuries, Dr. Philp noted that Markwood has continued to advancement positively successful his recovery.

"I'm blessed to accidental that he's progressed really, truly well. He's astatine a constituent present wherever he's disconnected the breathing machine, he's retired of the intensive attraction unit, and he's preparing to determination to the adjacent step, which volition beryllium carnal therapy rehab," Dr. Philp said. "Seeing him retrieve truthful rapidly has truly been gratifying, frankly, up of docket from what we would person anticipated fixed the existent severity of his injuries."

While Markwood volition necessitate differing therapies to rehabilitate his injuries, Dr. Philp noted that cognitive rehab, due to the fact that of the encephalon injuries, volition beryllium 1 of the astir captious aspects of his recovery.

Markwood tin talk, walk, and execute elemental tasks, similar utilizing the restroom, but Dr. Philp said symptom is inactive evidently evident.

"It's painful, adjacent successful a young, steadfast person; it's going to instrumentality a portion to heal," Dr. Philp noted. "He's capable to speech to america and, arsenic I've said, has made truly singular progress."

Doctors judge the rehabilitation process should statesman "soon."

"As rapidly arsenic you tin determination [someone with captious injuries], they commencement to payment immediately."

"He's a bully person"

Taryn Markwood, Kavan's sister, and her aunt, Juliette Och, spoke connected behalf of the family.

Markwood's sister expressed gratitude for the outpouring of enactment successful the aftermath of the incident, thanking the archetypal responders, different aesculapian professionals, and assemblage members who person straight assisted oregon sent good wishes to the family.

"We privation to instrumentality a infinitesimal to explicit our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has kept Kavan successful their thoughts and prayers," Taryn said. "Kavan has ever been afloat of surprises, and we are thrilled to spot him making fantabulous advancement each day. He continues to show his unthinkable strength."

Taryn emphasized that she didn't privation Kavan to beryllium judged by others based connected the actions successful the video.

"He's a bully person, and for radical to justice him from an mishap is messed up."

Och, who is simply a nurse, was retired of municipality erstwhile the autumn happened.

"I watched the video astir 50 times and went to furniture and recovered retired successful the greeting it was him."

Och said household members person expressed a tendency for privateness arsenic Markwood continues the rehabilitation process. Family members volition proceed to supply updates erstwhile available.

"Kavan is conscionable the epitome of strength. We are truthful grateful for everything, and arsenic Tayrn said, these things, the offerings of enactment and fiscal assistance, is truly going to assistance enactment immoderate things," Och said.

Investigation into the autumn continues

While the nonstop origin of Markwood's mishap remains unclear, determination has been treatment that the 20-year-old whitethorn person been intoxicated and celebrating an RBI treble from Andrew McCutchen erstwhile helium fell.

However, according to a Pirates spokesperson, Markwood showed nary signs of intoxication at the clip of the fall. The spokesperson went connected to accidental that Markwood was successful a radical of 4 people; it was determined by looking into recognition paper receipts that 1 of the radical successful his radical purchased alcoholic drinks legally 4 times.

The Pirates judge that Markwood drank 2 beers passim the game.

While 1 instrumentality said Markwood appeared intoxicated, others said helium was conversing people and did not grounds immoderate boisterous behavior. One instrumentality told the nine that Markwood stood up, excited astir the play, and toppled implicit the wall.

The Pirates accidental they bash not judge Markwood showed immoderate intoxicated behaviour entering the park. The nine prohibited 2 fans from entering Tuesday nighttime for being drunk, but Markwood was not 1 of them.

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is investigating the fall.

Mamie Bah, Madeline Bartos and Michael Guise contributed to this report.