KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs executive vice president Rick Burkholder gave a positive update on BJ Thompson, saying the defense is alert, alert and “coming through very well.” [and] “It’s really heading in the right direction.”
Thompson, 25, suffered a seizure and suffered a heart attack Thursday while attending a special teams meeting at the Chiefs’ practice facility.
Burkholder, Kansas City’s vice president of sports medicine and performance, said kicker Harrison Butker left the meeting to inform the team’s medical staff of Thompson’s situation. He said Thompson was initially treated by an athletic trainer and team doctor until fire department personnel arrived.
Burkholder said Thompson was in cardiac arrest for a minute to a minute and a half before being taken to a local hospital. He said Thompson was sedated Thursday and overnight and was placed on a ventilator overnight to help her breathe.
Thompson regained consciousness Friday and was removed from the ventilator.
“We don’t have a diagnosis,” Burkholder said. “And in medicine, sometimes you don’t have that.”
The Chiefs held a team meeting before practice Friday to update players on Thompson’s progress.
“If that needs to happen, there’s no better place than right here to get the support to know what to do,” coach Andy Reid said.
