A senior student athlete from Northwestern High School is in critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest Tuesday night during a basketball game.
Cartier Woods, 18, suffered a cardiac arrest during a game, according to an email sent by the school district superintendent.
“It is with a heavy heart that I send you this late evening email. Earlier this evening, Cartier Woods, a senior at Northwestern, went into cardiac arrest while playing in his basketball game at Northwestern,” said Nikolai P. Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District.
Vitti said that CPR was administered to revive Woods, and he was rushed to the nearby hospital. The teen is still fighting for his life and is on life support.
“He was administered CPR and was rushed to Henry Ford Hospital. As of this email, he is on life support and the next 24 hours are critical for his survival. With the permission of Cartier Woods’ legal guardian, his aunt, I send this email to you requesting your prayers, thoughts, and/or well wishes for his recovery. I will be sure to keep everyone updated about Cartier’s health, and I pray to give you positive news!” the post continued.
Dwanda Woods, his aunt and legal guardian, told ABC Detroit that Cartier first started playing sports at the age of 10.
“No one can stop him. He just loves playing football, basketball. That’s his number one goal of what he wanted to do his whole life,” said Dwanda Woods.
According to Woods, her nephew did not have any known heart conditions. Woods added that CPR was performed on him for 40-60 minutes after he collapsed on the court.
“He’s been with me since he was a baby and I’m just not sleeping. I haven’t ate or drink nothing since yesterday and I just feel bad right now,” said Dwanda Woods. “We all just praying and hoping he wake up.”
The Woods family said that they are in the process of setting up a fundraising campaign to assist in paying for his medical bills.
More from Detroit Free Press:
Three minutes into Tuesday’s Detroit Douglass at Detroit Northwestern boys basketball game, Douglas assistant coach Roland Eason noticed Northwestern senior Cartier Woods approach head coach George Tyson.
“Coach, I’m dizzy,” Woods said, according to Eason. “I need to come out.”
Douglass head coach Pierre Brooks, who coached with Tyson for 18 years, was watching the action on the court until he heard a loud noise.
Woods suffered a cardiac arrest and lay motionless on the court.
“I heard a big bang and I thought it might be a fight or something,” Brooks said. “I looked over and it was Cartier that fell out and Coach Tyson jumped to action.
Brooks estimated EMT personnel arrived between five and 10 minutes after the incident and transported the youngster to nearby Henry Ford Hospital.
