Friday, August 21, 2015 09:40AM
STONY BROOK, ny
A high school football player in Riverhead remains hospitalized in critical condition and on dialysis Friday after suffering heat stroke during practice earlier this week.
Nikolas Visco was taken to Stony Brook Children's Hospital on Monday after he told coaches he wasn't feeling well as practice ended. The team's trainer immediately called an ambulance.
The Riverhead High School junior also suffered from kidney and liver failure.
Dr. Daniel Sloniewsky says Visco was on dialysis but added it wasn't clear if the kidney problem was permanent or temporary.
The Visco family released the following statement:
"We would like to thank our family and friends, and others in the community along with our son, Nikolas Visco's friends and fellow teammates, for their concerns about Nikolas while he is being cared for at Stony Brook Children's Hospital. He remains in critical condition and is being taken care of by a very experienced team of doctors and nurses. We are very grateful and thankful for the care he is receiving. Out of concern for Nikolas' well-being, we ask that you respect his privacy and our family's privacy as we all focus our energy on helping Nikolas recover."
The temperature was 86 Monday morning and the heat index was 92. A heat alert is mandatory when the index reaches 95. The team was practicing under a self-imposed modified heat alert