NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (WHDH) — A North Andover High School athlete has returned to the basketball team after a health scare left him sidelined.
Gabe DeSouza, a multi-sport athlete, collapsed during a football game in November.
“Last I can remember, all I see is the ball being kicked off. When I caught it, I looked down to see white jerseys. The rest went black,” said DeSouza.
DeSouza was diagnosed with heart arrhythmia, caused by a piece of tissue that was centimeters away from killing him. DeSouza underwent surgery and after weeks of waiting, was able to play sports again.
“We put him in there, he had a huge smile on his face,” said North Andover basketball coach Paul Tinglas.
DeSouza said his health scare and the following surgery taught him not to take life for granted.
“What I learned is to just enjoy every moment while you can, when you can, because everything can change in the blink of an eye,” said DeSouza.
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