BEAST 7 this past February marked a new milestone not only for its host city of Gothenburg, Sweden, but also for European Smash as a whole. Featuring a cadre of top out-of-country players, many of whom were from North America, the event was considered a success. While it was ongoing however, Nicholas "Ministry" McGuire ran into some unfortunate trouble.
"I was born with a congenital heart disease in which everything around my heart is reversed and I was also born missing one major heart valve," said McGuire in his GoFundMe. Though it was expected that the two open heart surgeries he had gone through were enough to keep him safe, the improbable happened at BEAST 7: he went into a cardiac arrest.
An example of what CDH is
Rushed immediately to the hospital. McGuire spent he week after Beast 7 in a hospital as doctors worked to stabilize and treat his pneumonia during his stay. By the end of Feburary, McGuire had been transferred to seveal Intensive Care Units and different hospitals to receive further treatment for his cardiology condition.
McGuire's cardiologist and doctors have explained to him that over the years, the conduit has become too small. This would prevent proper blood flow and oxygen, which then changes the electrical movement in his heart, ultimately leading it to stop.
As of now, McGuire will need two heart procedures: one to widen the conduit in his heart and the second to implant a pacemaker/defibrillator into his heart. McGuire will also need to continue physiotherapy to learn how to walk properly again and work on his motor skills, as well as improving his memory.
Unfortunately, McGuire's work visa and health insurance expired on February 13th, just one week before this happened and will be facing a hospital bill once released. To date, the hospital bill itself is estimated around $75,000 and still has two weeks in ICU, as well as two heart procedures, assuming everything goes as planned. By the time McGuire leaves the hospital, his total medical expenses are estimated at around $200,000.
Team Note: According to Miram Webster, the definition of community is a unified body of individuals. It's a travesty what Nick has gone and lived through. We realize not everyone will be able to donate, but every little bit will help McGuire's family and are grateful for any help you're able to offer. If you are interested in dontating towards Nick's cause, check out his GoFundMe page.
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