In late August of 2022, George E. Wilson Elementary School rising third-grader Santonio “Tony” Blakely was in the rehabilitation facility of the Children’s Specialized Hospital in Robert Wood Johnson, New Brunswick. Doctors asked him what he hoped to do after suffering a near fatal brain rupture.
Tony said matter-of-factly he wanted to start running and playing soccer.
“We said, ‘Can you hold your head up first and can we see if you can sit up or walk?’” his mom, Damaris Santos-Heredia, recalled. “His mindset was to get back to running and playing. As parents, our goal was to just get him to sit up and be as close to a normal kid as possible.”
For Blakely, playing soccer is being a normal kid, no matter what he has gone through.
Nothing was going to stop him.
“Soccer is my passion and I knew I was going to play again, because God was on my side,” he said.
His mom wasn’t sure, but would never count him out.
“Tony has always given a run for the money since he was small,” Santos-Heredia said. “He’s always strong willed. Although we wouldn’t wish this on anyone and wish he didn’t have to go through it, we’re glad it was him because he was so determined and no one was gonna stop him from doing what he wanted to do again.”
Flash forward to April 13 of this year, as Tony stood proudly with some other youth soccer players on the sidelines of Red Bull Arena in Harrison at halftime of the Chicago Fire-New York Red Bulls game. He was honored as the New Jersey Youth Soccer Male Comeback Player of the Year for 2023.
It was truly the climax of a long, harrowing journey.
“I am in awe of Tony’s bravery, resilience and determination and proud to be part of his accomplishments,” said Jessica Gonzalez, his health and physical education teacher at Wilson. “He embodies the spirit of a true athlete, both on and off the soccer field.”
Gonzalez, a Mercer County Soccer Hall of Famer who has trained Blakely at her JGT Soccer Camp at the Hibernian Club, can relate to what he has gone through. While playing for The College of New Jersey, she suffered a brain injury in a car accident, and was in a coma for two months. She had to relearn all the basic tasks in life, much like Tony.
“With the help and support of Tony’s loving family, His persistent hard work, determination and strength, he overcame a life-threatening injury, exceeded expectations and returned to the soccer field,” Gonzalez said. “More kids need to be inspirational to others who are having trouble being brave to overcome life obstacles.”
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Tony’s family had its courage severely tested on the Wednesday afternoon of Aug. 10, 2022. As his Hamilton rec team was doing warm-up stretches at Mercer County Park, Blakely started complaining of a headache. It was initially thought to be heat exhaustion as his grandmother, Loretta, said he hadn’t had much to drink during the 90-degree day.
When Santos was informed, she took her son Tylenol, but he started slurring his words and could not get up.
“We thought he was exaggerating and we were telling him to get up,” she said. “But he was non-responsive and really struggling to talk. That’s when we started knowing something’s not right.”
With her son Shawn two fields away and her infant son Savion asleep in the car, Damaris frantically drove across the Mercer Park soccer fields to Robert Wood Johnson in Hamilton. By then, Tony was somewhat out of it.
“I don’t remember everything that happened that day,” he said. “All I remember is me being at the soccer field, and it felt scary because I have never had a headache before.”
By the time they arrived at RWJ, Blakely started throwing up.
“He had taken a turn for the worse,” Santos said. “He just collapsed and went limp.”
A CAT scan was performed and before they even got into the emergency room, the family was informed Tony was bleeding from the brain and had to be airlifted to New Brunswick immediately.
“As they’re wheeling my son, he just grabbed my arm and said, ‘I need you right now,’” Santos said. “No parent wants to hear that.”
Damaris rode with her son on the helicopter (only one person could accompany him) while his dad, Shawn Blakely, drove there.
The chopper was greeted by a battery of medical staff and, after Tony was wheeled in, even more staff was lined up waiting for him. After an MRI, additional cat scan and image testing, it was determined Blakely had an arteriovenous malformation brain rupture.
It was an undetected birth effect that thousands of people are walking around with, but can only be discovered by an MRI or if a person suffers a rupture.
“They said the slurred speech was because he was having a stroke,” Santos said. “His brain was swollen and the massive bleeding caused the stroke.”
Tony had been sedated for the transport and his mom said it looked as if he was in a medical coma. Medication was given to lower the swelling and open brain surgery was done the next morning to remove the connected cluster of veins and arteries.
“I couldn’t sleep that first night,” Santos said. ‘All night I kept holding his hand, calling his name, trying to get him to squeeze my hand, or wiggle his eyes. Just do something.
“The next morning they removed the rupture (during a seven-hour surgery) and cleaned up the blood to help save his life.”
The next few days were anxious ones. Doctors had the unenviable task of telling Tony’s parents that if the surgery was not successful, there was a chance he would not survive.
“I knew they had to do that,” Damaris said. “They had to explain the procedure and percentage of survival and complications. Of course we’re praying, we’re reaching out to family, those at the soccer field who were there, asking for prayers all around.”
Those prayers were answered. The surgery was done on Thursday and with a breathing tube still down his throat, Tony gave his parents some relief when he opened his eyes slightly. They went home Friday to help Shawn get his football equipment for the upcoming season, and Loretta went to the hospital and heard Blakely say some garbled words.
“She sent us a message, and when we got the message, we just cried,” Santos said. “We screamed, ‘Thank you God!’ out loud.”
Tony went to rehab several days later and through grueling work was able to hold his head up, sit up and move his arms all over again.
“It was a little hard when I first started rehab,” he said. “But then I got the hang of it and it was something that I had to do.”
There was one glitch, however.
“He wasn’t happy to be in a diaper for a little bit,” Santos said with a laugh. “He said I’m not the baby, the baby’s at home.’”
* * *
Tony was released the first week of September. He was home tutored until December, began attending school for two hours that month, and returned full time in late January. There were times he suffered headaches or blurred vision but that was expected because he was working his brain muscles after a traumatic brain situation.
In April, Tony made his triumphant return to the soccer field to play for the Hamilton Soccer Club rec program and last fall he played for the NJ Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program. This spring he is playing both rec and travel soccer.
“It felt good to play soccer again, especially after what I went through,” Blakely said. “I felt scared at first but later I felt great. I was very proud of myself.”
He was even prouder when the Hamilton Soccer Club nominated him to be NJ Youth Soccer’s Comeback Player of the Year and he won the honor.
““It was very cool to be on the field at the Red Bulls game,” said Tony, who received a golden ball that contained a video from former U.S. National Team goalie Tony Meola.
That wasn’t the only memorable moment. Since his recovery, Blakely has participated in a commercial for the Children’s Miracle Network. And while he was in rehab, he was able to video chat with women’s U.S. National team star Carli Lloyd.
“I was excited to be able to speak with her,” he said. “But I wish to meet her one day. She gave me advice about never giving up on your dreams. It was very cool.”
After the way he has bounced back, it’s obvious Blakely will never give up. He has picked his grades back up and is excelling in school.
“We are so proud of him,” Santos said.
Tony feels his family members should be proud of themselves.
“I want to thank them,” he said, “Without them all I wouldn’t be where I’m at.”
And where’s he at? Back on the soccer field, right where he belongs.
Tony Blakely on the video screen at Red Bull Arena in Harrison after being named New Jersey Youth Soccer Comeback Player of the Year.,
