Kavan Markwood, the 20-year-old who fell over the top of a 21-foot outfield wall at PNC Park on Wednesday, April 30, has broken his silence.
Markwood shared during an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review published on Wednesday, May 7, that he has not watched footage of his fall.
The baseball fan fell as he cheered a Pirates’ go-ahead double in the seventh inning. In a recently released video from the game, Markwood jumps in celebration of Andrew McCutchen’s hit when gravity takes over as he pitches forward over the railing.
While he said he was “alright,” he told the news outlet that he “can’t really sleep” and has a “lot of back pain.” Although he expects to be released from the hospital in about a week, Markwood still has a lot of injuries he has to recover from.
During a press conference also on Wednesday, Allegheny General Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Al Philp said Markwood has sustained injuries to his skull, brain, spine, both sides of his ribs, and his lungs, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
Although Philp noted that it will take time for Markwood to heal, he said he has “progressed really, really well.”
“He’s at a point now where he’s off the breathing machine, he’s out of the intensive care unit, and he’s preparing to move to the next step, which will be physical therapy rehab. Seeing him recover so quickly has really been gratifying, frankly, ahead of schedule from what we would have anticipated given the real severity of his injuries,” Philp continued.
Speaking about his injuries to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Markwood said he felt like he had “broken everything.”
Jennifer Phillips, the mother of Markwood’s girlfriend Alonna, has been documenting his progress via GoFundMe. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Markwood’s parents both died young. His father, Scott Markwood, died at the age of 37 in 2014, while his mother, Angela Rachelle Lawson, died in 2023 at 44.
In an update on Monday, May 5, Phillips said that Markwood had taken his first steps that day.
“It’s a slow, slow process, but seeing him up and moving was a huge win and definitely lifted everyone’s spirits,” she added, noting that he had “plenty of obstacles ahead.”
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“But he’s showing real strength, and we’re staying hopeful for a smooth recovery. This will also require plenty of rest and following instructions from the great doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital,” she said.
As of this writing, the campaign has raised over $51,000 of its $55,000 goal.
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