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12-year-old hospitalized after cardiac episode during soccer practice

Pyper Midkiff.jpeg
Posted at 4:05 PM, Apr 30, 2023
and last updated 2023-05-01 20:15:57-04

A 12-year-old girl from Chandler is in the hospital after she collapsed on the field during soccer practice Thursday night.

The Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club posted a statement from the girl's family on Twitter that says the girl had a cardiac episode 20 minutes into practice.

12-year-old Pyper MidKiff was taken to the hospital after CPR began on the field. Family says that her heart stopped on the way to the hospital, but medics were able to restart it before arriving.

Midkiff remains at Phoenix Children's hospital.

On Monday, medical staff removed her tubes and she spoke for the first time, asking where her twin sister was, “she just started talking which is amazing, I can’t even describe it,” said her father, Matt Midkiff, “three days ago we didn’t know if we’d ever see that or hear that again.”

They are anticipating a long road to recovery, but Midkiff said Pyper is a fighter.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for medical bills.