MATAWAN – A blue Nissan Sedan pulled up to the entrance of the hospital.
All at once, members of the Rogers family left the vehicle and regrouped outside of a revolving door. Darrell Rogers Sr. drove off to park the vehicle.
One member of the Rogers clan tightly gripped a bouquet of balloons. Another, a suitcase. The family of six arrived prepared to retrieve their sixth member after a heart attack prompted his extended stay at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick.
On Aug. 20, the day before Darrell Rogers Jr., 16, of Matawan, was scheduled to return home, his mother, Michelle Bryon, said she was excited to be the one to take care of her son each day after he spent three months under the watchful eye of medical professionals.
“I’m probably not going to sleep tonight,” Byron said. “That boy is amazing.”
In May, Darrell, who is a member of the Matawan Regional High School basketball team, suffered a heart attack while he was participating in a practice with an Amateur Athletic Union basketball team at the Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School.
“During practice, (Darrell) went for a layup. He collapsed. Some of the kids thought he was joking around. Then the kids saw he was turning blue,” said Gail Snyder, a close family friend.
Darrell was administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the scene of the incident. He was airlifted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Byron said her son underwent treatment for what was determined to have been a pre-existing heart condition.
Byron said Darrell was diagnosed with a heart murmur a few years ago, but said his current condition went undetected by medical professionals, as the diagnosis often does.
According to the American Heart Association, “Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs if heart muscle cells enlarge and cause the walls of the ventricles (usually the left ventricle) to thicken. The ventricle size often remains normal, but the thickening may block blood flow out of the ventricle.”
Yvonne Cocchiarella, Immediate Care’s marketing and business executive, said the fact that Darrell received CPR at the middle school in the moments following his collapse was crucial for his survival.
On Aug. 21, after a three-month stay in several different hospitals, the Rogers family happily arrived to take Darrell home.
“He’s already beat the odds,” Byron said tearfully. “They told me he wasn’t going to walk, talk or eat. I am feeling so happy.”
After being prepped for discharge, Darrell confidently wheeled himself through the lobby of the hospital, his family following close behind, keeping pace with his speed. Darrell sported a gray Matawan Huskies basketball t-shirt, never losing the pride he has for his athletic team.
“When (Darrell) initially came in, he was needing a lot more help than he does nowadays,” Child Life Specialist Christina Dellibovi said. “He needed reminders to keep himself safe. He needed a lot more support as far as walking went. He had a tube that helped him eat. He no longer has that now and he is walking with support.
“During this process, every single change was a new success for Darrell. He has such a supportive family and such a great group of friends that really help him every day. He’s working with and understanding what happened to him. It’s not his fault. There is nothing he could have done about it. Darrell started out not wanting to come out and be seen by other kids and now he is Mr. Social,” Dellibovi said.
Darrell made a surprise appearance at a charity softball game held in his honor later that day. Not expecting to see him at the event, the community was surprised to see the evening’s guest of honor at Fireman’s Field, Aberdeen.
Police officers from Aberdeen and Matawan challenged a team from WFAN Sports Radio, including Boomer Esiason, a former NFL quarterback, and Gregg Giannotti.
“I know you’ve been waiting for this day for a long time, Darrell Rogers Sr. said. “Congratulations.”