When 20-year-old soccer star Savy King collapsed in practice, quick action by teammates with a defibrillator and an ambulance on the way likely saved her life. Her collapse happened at Angel City FC’s home stadium, where she reportedly lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital. King was born with an anomalous left coronary artery, which can lead to sudden death. To address her condition, she had to have surgery performed by Dr. Richard Kim, director of congenital cardiac surgery at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.
In the early hours of the practice, the quick actions of her medical team were essential. Following Damar’s collapse on the field, head athletic trainer Hollie Walusz quickly took immediate action and began chest compressions. Simultaneously, she directed that the automated external defibrillator (AED) be prepared for use. “We felt like we had made the right decision at that moment to begin chest compressions while the AED was being prepared to be used,” Walusz said. The team, that featured in Sarah Smith—vice president of medical and performance—acted quickly to deliver potentially lifesaving emergency treatment.
King’s mothers kept vigil during the entire traumatic process, offering guidance and comfort while their daughter was treated, stitched, and diagnosed. “That will stay with me forever in my heart, and just knowing that, like, I get to play in front of them too and see that they were a huge reason why I’m here is, like, I play for them too now,” King expressed during a recent interview after returning to practice.
During her recovery period, King attributed her improvement to her medical staff’s determination. “I wouldn’t be here without them. I can’t even continue talking about it, because … there’s not enough, like, anything I can give them. But it’s the rest of my career that is committed to them,” she said. … words cannot express my deep gratitude for their lifesaving efforts to stabilize her.
Dr. Kim was head of the surgical team that treated King’s congenital heart defect. His knowledge and skill-set proved absolutely critical in helping them stay on track toward a win. Smith later recalled of the incident, “It was amazing to have the event occur that evening in our home stadium. Our full medical team was present with their rapid response being key to the positive outcome we were able to receive.”
King elaborated on her experience in the moments leading up to the collapse. I just remember that I was sleeping and I wasn’t doing okay and I remember that I grabbed my leg, just like, trying to kind of distract myself from the fact that I felt like I was about to faint. And then … I just remember the medical staff coming out on the field,” she said.
After her surgery, King posted to Instagram thanking the Angel City FC medical staff. Her sincere message struck a chord with fans, as well as teammates. She made it back to practice, for the first time since the attack. With that fierce belief and spirit of optimism, she was primed to launch. “I was just so happy that I was gonna be able to recover and be as normal and almost be like a Savy 2.0 now,” she said.
Though her journey is hardly over, King is focused on her continued recovery and future in the game she loves. “So I’ll be back, and I’ll be bigger and better than ever,” she promised with a contagious smile.
