Referee Bert Smith Scary Collapse Revealed!
CelebnSports247.com previously reported NCAA College basketball official Bert Smith collapsed. Well, we found out what caused the frightening collapse during an Elite 8 game of the NCAA Tournament.
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 31, 2021
Referee Bert Smith is opening up on his frightening collapse during an Elite 8 game of the NCAA Tournament.
According to reports, Smith said the fall was caused was a blood clot in his lung… and he’s extremely grateful to the doctors who may have saved his life.
The 56-year-old Smith was officiating the Gonzaga vs. USC matchup on March 30 when he collapsed to the hardwood a few minutes into the game.
He later regained consciousness and was stretchered off the court.
Smith spent 2 days in the hospital while docs tried to figure out what triggered the medical emergency.
According to IU Health Methodist doctor, Katie Trammel tracked down the issue, a pulmonary embolism.
WebMD defines a P.E. as “When a blood clot gets caught in one of the arteries that go from the heart to the lungs … the clot blocks the normal flow of blood.”
Smith says doctors are not sure what caused the clot. Smith tested positive for COVID-19 in August, but docs say they can’t confirm whether that played a role.
But, he’s extremely grateful Dr. Trammel was able to identify the problem and treat it quickly.
Smith told the Indy Star:
You don’t know where that clot was going next.
Smith was placed on blood thinners to address the issue. He was allowed to return home soon after and says the welcome he got was incredibly special.
Smith told the outlet:
The hugs were pretty intense…They were pretty intense, man.
Smith says the incident taught him a valuable lesson on the important things in life … something he won’t take for granted.
It puts in perspective the value of each day, because we all go through our lives – we’re all guilty of it – and we just live, right? But do we say ‘I love you’ enough? Do we give an extra hug enough? Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them?
When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.
So, what’s next for Smith?? He says he’ll be back on the court doing his job again next season.
I hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight … but you know what? I’m happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.
