After being off the ice for nearly four months, top Minnesota Wild prospect Marco Rossi opened up about his health struggles, including his diagnosis of myocarditis, to The Athletic's Michael Russo.
Last November, Rossi was diagnosed with COVID-19. Following his recovery, he captained Austria at the World Junior Championship in January but continued to feel fatigued. After Austria was eliminated from the tournament in just four games, Rossi traveled to Minnesota for the Wild's training camp.
During the NHL's mandatory COVID-19 quarantine protocol, doctors found some alarming numbers in his bloodwork during his pre-training camp physical. During that examination, doctors discovered Rossi had myocarditis, a broad term that essentially means an inflammation of the heart. After undergoing more tests, it was determined that he would not be cleared to play.
"The doctors told me if I played one more game in the World Junior Championship, this could have ended completely different," Rossi said. "I'm thankful to God that he supported me. … I'm just happy that I'm still alive."
Over the next three weeks, Rossi went from doctor's visit to doctor's visit while living with Wild forward Thomas Vanek — arguably Austria's most famous former hockey player. Rossi also received support from former Wild goalie Alex Stalock, who was also secretly going through his own struggles with the same ailment.
The Wild eventually sent a terrified Rossi home to Austria to be with his parents.
"Every time before I went to sleep, I was so scared that I won't wake up anymore," Rossi said, discussing his myocarditis condition publicly for the first time. "Every night, before sleep, I was really sad and always crying because I was scared of that. I told my parents, 'Could you sleep right next to my bed and be here 'til I fall asleep?' And every day I woke up in the morning, I was so glad that I woke up. It was really hard."
Despite his struggles, doctors are confident that Rossi’s on the mend. In mid-May, he will have more tests in Dornbirn, Austria, where Rossi said medical experts have examined several athletes who have returned to sports after being diagnosed with similar heart conditions. If cleared, he can begin working out again.
You can read Russo's full story in the Go Deeper section below.
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