The support for Ioanna Tsaprailis and Whitecaps London has been pouring in from soccer clubs across the province as the 13-year-old recovers following a scary on-field incident earlier this month.
Tsaprailis is from Sarnia, Ont., and travels to London to play with the Whitecaps club.
During a game with the 2008 girls team at North London Athletics Fields earlier this month, she collapsed as she was walking to the sidelines at the end of the first half.
Abbi Lezizidis, president and club chair, said the ambulance got to the field quickly, but there were some scary moments where they feared the worst.
“This player was rushed off in an ambulance in front of all her teammates, who are just 13-years-old, and everyone watching,” Lezizidis said. “In a matter of moments, she had a brain bleed develop, and then she had a stroke due to the clot that was being developed because of the brain bleed.”
She was rushed to London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), where doctors said the clot was in the “worst possible place.”
Lezizidis said they received positive news from the hospital that Tsaprailis would be alright, though a lengthy recovery lies ahead for the young girl.
“It was elation, that’s the best way to describe it,” he said. “At the end of a day, we have a happy story, that we have a child that did survive of a moment of having no pulse, and being in a really critical state.”
Ioanna’s father, Jim Tsaprailis, said she has a long way to go before returning to the soccer field, but is hoping she will be able to continue her recovery from home later this week.
“We are so grateful to the wonderful staff at the LHSC Paediactric Critical Care Unit. They truly are miracle workers,” he said. “She is packing up and coming home to us Friday, something we feared may never happen.”
Lezizidis said it was a traumatizing experience for all involved, especially for her young teammates.
“We kept the team together that night, and just reflect and stay together, that was the most important thing for these young girls, have that togetherness, while they gathered and thought about their teammate.”
The young girls wanted to do something to support their friend and to raise money for the hospital programming that very likely saved her life.
That’s where the idea of selling bright pink shirts came about.
“The whole idea was born from the 2008 girls team. They came up with the concept of the logo and the shirt, the idea of fundraising to give back to the hospital,” he said. “They wanted to put it all together. We’ve just helped facilitate it.”
The shirts feature the Whitecaps logo, Tsaprailis’ initials, and the quote, “We Got Your Back.”
“The first games back after the incident, we played in Oakville, and the Brampton club we played the weekend before where the incident happened, came out to support our team in another city,” Lezizidis said.
“They actually came to another city, with signs for Ioanna and shirts made. It was truly amazing.”
Lezizidis said there has also been an outpouring of support from other people in the Whitecaps organization, as well as a number of other soccer clubs in the area.
“We’ve been incredibly blessed with the outpouring of love from other organizations and clubs in the city, and other clubs across Ontario.”
Jerseys are available for purchase until Friday, with proceeds going directly Paediatric Critical Care Unit and London Health Science Centre.