Tom Lockyer will return to the scene of his terrifying on-pitch cardiac arrest when Luton face Bournemouth on the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Lockyer, 29, was hospitalised for 5 days after his coronary heart stopped for 2 minutes and 40 seconds within the Hatters’ deserted Premier League recreation towards Bournemouth on December 16.
The 29-year-old Welshman, subsequently fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, has since admitted it’s “out of his palms” if he’ll ever play once more.
However, 88 days on from the incident which rocked the sport, Lockyer is because of meet with the medical crew who saved his life earlier than being introduced to the group at half-time of Wednesday’s re-arranged Premier League fixture.
“It is going to be emotional going again and reliving that have however we all know we’ve to do it,” mentioned Luton supervisor Rob Edwards.
“Locks will meet the individuals who helped saved his life and see their supporters, who have been unbelievable on the day.
“It is going to be good to have the ability to shut that a part of the story up and focus on shifting ahead.
“It was a extremely troublesome expertise that all of us went by means of. The principle factor now could be that Locks is okay and the silver lining is that some good can have come from it with extra consciousness on CPR and the significance of realizing what to do in these emergency conditions.”
“He’s going to be coming down tomorrow which shall be nice”
Luton’s Tom Lockyer will journey to Bournemouth for the sport tomorrow and meet the paramedics that helped save his life within the deserted match in December pic.twitter.com/DRA3W5e9VB
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A Bournemouth supporters’ belief has raised greater than £2,000 to placed on 4 coaches for Luton followers to make the 240-mile round-trip from Bedfordshire to the south coast.
There are additionally plans for a minute’s applause in tribute to the medics who saved Lockyer.
“They’re the true heroes,” added Edwards. “It is just soccer and there are extra essential issues.
“What these guys did in probably the most pressurised second was unimaginable they usually deserve all the eye and affection that they’re going to get.”
Lockyer, whose girlfriend gave start to their first baby, a daughter, on the finish of final month additionally suffered a collapse throughout Might’s Championship play-off victory towards Coventry and it stays unsure if he’ll return to the pitch.
“It’s day-by-day in the meanwhile, mentioned Edwards. “He’ll enter right into a interval of rehabilitation however that may take a very long time, months, so it’s one step at a time in the meanwhile.
“He shall be coming down tomorrow which is nice. He has bought larger issues on his thoughts with a brand new child and he’s ready the place that’s his fundamental focus proper now.
“We’d like to have him right here on a weekly foundation and for him to be round extra and lean on his experiences and he’ll assist us.
“It is going to be very nice for him to satisfy these heroes and the supporters and he’ll get an excellent reception. That shall be very nice for him however it is going to be emotional, too.”
The Hatters, three factors adrift of security, shall be seeking to construct on Cauley Woodrow’s late aim at Crystal Palace final weekend which salvaged a draw and ended a run of 4 consecutive league defeats.
