In October 2022, Nick DiCarlo stepped up to bat during practice at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, intending to bunt the next pitch and run to first base.
But a fastball traveling more than 80 mph struck DiCarlo in the chest and he collapsed after taking two steps.
DiCarlo’s coach, Connor Burke, and teammates rushed to his side. He wasn’t breathing.
The coach began CPR, an ambulance was called and paramedics used a defibrillator to get his heart back into normal rhythm and rushed him to hospital.
Doctors placed the 19-year-old sophomore in a medically induced coma to help him recover from his injuries. DiCarlo underwent an MRI to check for brain and spinal injuries. Doctors found no problems and were able to transfer DiCarlo to a trauma center in New York City that could better provide him the treatment he needed.
Further testing revealed that DiCarlo had suffered a concussion, a rare form of cardiac arrest that occurs immediately after a blow to the heart in the chest just in time for a heartbeat to break. The sudden impact causes the heart’s rhythm to become disrupted, causing the heart to stop.
Nick’s father, John DiCarlo, said it was “shocking” that his son received the force in the right spot to cause cardiac arrest.
Because a concussion is caused by such unusual circumstances, only a few cases are reported each year. But just a few months after Nick’s cardiac arrest, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a concussion after making a tackle during a “Monday Night Football” game. Hamlin later announced that the cause was a concussion.
Nick’s mother, Nicole Baker, and her husband John drove seven hours from their home in Lewiston, New York, to the hospital with their son. When they arrived, Nick was breathing on a ventilator and was wrapped in cold compresses to slow his metabolic rate and prevent brain damage.
John and Nicole sat by Nick’s bedside from Thursday through Sunday, waiting for their son to wake up. Nick woke up Sunday afternoon, and doctors took him off the ventilator, allowing him to breathe on his own. In between visits from teammates and coaches, Nick underwent more tests to monitor his condition. He was released from the hospital five days later.
Although Nick suffered no long-term damage, he suffered a lot of short-term pain.
“I couldn’t even do one push-up because my chest hurt so much,” Nick said. “The best way to describe it is I felt like I’d been hit by a car. Everything hurt.”
Nick grew up in Lewiston, about 30 minutes outside of Buffalo, so he’s a lifelong Bills fan. He was at the game with his dad when Hamlin collapsed on what seemed like a routine play.
“But then I saw the replay and I saw him get hit, get up, take two steps and then collapse,” Nick said. “I thought, ‘That’s exactly what happened to me.'”
Nick completed intense cardiac rehabilitation sessions to regain his strength. He returned to practice a few weeks later and played in seven games in the spring. He then transferred to DeYouville College at Buffalo. He plans to continue playing baseball this season.
“I never had any doubt that I would return to playing,” he said.
But there is one big change: Nick now wears a chest protector under his jersey, as do several of his former Iona teammates.
This experience prompted Nick’s family to include chest protectors among the equipment they provide to youth baseball players through their nonprofit organization, Youth Sports Alliance.
“I’ve been really fortunate to have made a 100% recovery and I want to give back,” Nick said.
“Stories From the Heart” chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.
