Sebastian Hitzig
Sebastian Hitzig It all began with a toothpick! In 1995, Sebastian Hitzig was found collapsed and bleeding from all orifices and rushed to the hospital. Doctors were faced with a number of deadly possibilities, but as they attempt to narrow down the cause, his condition begins to rapidly deteriorate. The mystery behind the cause of his sudden sickness eventually leads to a trivial toothpick incident that happened months earlier, creating bacterial endocarditis from a MRSA staph infection. So began Sebastian’s medical journey that stems more than half his life, surviving 2 sudden cardiac arrests, 3 open heart surgeries, 2 strokes, epilepsy, and eventually a need for a new heart.
In 2018, Sebastian collapsed while at a routine appointment he while waiting for a heart transplant. He was admitted to the hospital and spent the next 181 days being kept alive until a miracle arrived. During his stay, he was tethered to a swan ganz, only allowing him about 6′ between he and his medicine. He had a sudden cardiac arrest in the hospital and almost gave up hope.
Then on January 3rd, 2019 the call finally came. After a 12.5-hour heart transplant surgery, he unfortunately experienced a blood bleed in his brain and was rushed to emergency brain surgery for 6 hours! He miraculously survived all of it and eventually came home in March after more than 7 months. Today he is doing much better, but unfortunately experiences setbacks due to being immunocompromised. He was admitted to the hospital in September and had a mystery illness that has taken close to three months to get better. They continually monitor his kidneys and liver (as originally they wanted to perform a triple organ transplant) and his neurological health (epilepsy due to his strokes).
Sebastian began playing hockey while attending boarding school in New Hampshire in the early 80’s. He played adult league in Los Angeles up until his illness and recently has been getting back to the game with Hockey Heals with Dawg Nation. His son plays with the Littleton Hawks Hockey Association on the 16U AA team and has been playing since he was 6. His wife is the manager for the hockey teams and the family are avid hockey fans!!
Click the button to contribute directly through Paypal.
Click the button to contribute directly through Paypal.
