The son of an AFL legend has been placed on life support after doctors discovered he was battling a mystery brain infection.
Geelong great Peter Riccardi, 51, said his son Osca was left in a coma after spending the day with friends.
Osca, who previously played for the Geelong Cats, was rushed to hospital by his mother after noticing he could barely walk or talk.
‘A couple of Sundays ago (Osca) came home, he had gone out with some of his teammates, he had been to the beach, he went out to dinner, he went out to play 10-pin bowling and he said he was going to sleep,’ Riccardi told the podcast. Beyond the Boundary.
“Then in the middle of the night he was awake, vomiting, feeling a little depressed… we thought he was exhausted.
“But at lunchtime I couldn’t talk, I could barely walk.”
Geelong great Peter Riccardi, 51, said his son Osca was in a coma for three days after he started vomiting at the end of a normal day (father and son pictured).
Osca, who was delisted from Geelong’s VFL team at the end of 2023, was rushed to hospital by his mother a few weeks ago after noticing he could barely walk or talk.
Osca had scans in hospital which revealed there was inflammation in her brain.
He was battling a sinus infection, an ear infection and glandular fever at the same time and was placed in an induced coma for three days.
“I’m still not 100 percent sure if swimming did something to his ears and got into his brain,” Mr. Riccardi said.
The talented soccer player spent four days in the ICU but is now recovering at home.
Riccardi said it was “extremely” lucky that his wife Mel had been working from home the day their son was taken to hospital.
“But now he’s at home recovering, you wouldn’t know it two weeks ago, seeing him on life support and seeing him now, it’s amazing what they do there,” the former Cats player said.
‘Obviously they have to prepare you for the worst (outcome).
‘But again, like I said, if Mel had gone to work that day, she wouldn’t be here today.
‘We are very lucky, we are very lucky.
“It must have been a mother’s intuition or instinct to stay home that day.”
Osca played at VFL level for Geelong but failed to make his AFL debut.
Osca had scans in hospital which revealed she had inflammation in her brain.
The talented player spent four days in the ICU but is now recovering at home