Injured Little League player expected to transfer to Salt Lake City this week, family says

After having surgery on Friday to replace part of his skull, a Little League player injured on Aug. 15 before the Little League World Series 2022 even started, is preparing to head back to Utah this week.

The family of Easton Oliverson, 12, said yesterday that he is working on physical therapy so he can be transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City.

And, he was thrilled to be able to eat his favorite food - nachos.

On a Facebook page created to provide updates on Easton’s recovery, the family said, “He has spent a great amount of his time the last couple of days resting from his surgery on Friday morning. He has been in quite a bit of pain, so his medical team has been doing their best to try and manage this. The right side of his face is swollen again from his surgery.

Through it all, he has still been receiving physical therapy and working on different skills to be prepared for his transfer to SLC this week. We are so grateful for the staff at Geisinger for showing unconditional love and care for our boy through this challenging time.

Thank you all for following along, and rallying behind Tank through his recovery. Please continue to pray that his pain will be manageable, and that all will go well with the planning and executing of transferring him to SLC this week. THANK YOU, we love you!!”

The family has previously said that Easton will be transferred to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City from Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville, Pa., where he has been since he fractured his skull on Aug. 15 when he fell from the top bunk in the players’ dormitory.

The family said the surgery to replace his skull happened much earlier than doctors had originally anticipated.

Easton’s first surgery came on the day he was hurt, two days before the LLWS started in South Williamsport.

His team, the Snow Canyon All Stars from Santa Clara, Utah, was the first team from Utah to make it to the tournament. Snow Canyon represented the Mountain Region. Easton’s younger brother, Brogan, 10, was the first alternate for the team and took Easton’s place. Their father, Jace, is a coach for the team.

Snow Canyon lost both of its games but received overwhelming support and messages of encouragement from fans, family, friends, MLB teams and players and college teams and players.

Yesterday, the series wrapped up with Hawaii taking home the title after a win over Curacao.

A Facebook page established in Easton’s name to provide updates has more than 26,500 followers and almost 5,000 friends.

There have been numerous fundraisers to assist the family with expenses and a Venmo account was created @MiraclesForTank. (Tank is Easton’s nickname).

Easton also has received messages of support from MLB players and teams including Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels, Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Carpenter and the New York Yankees, the Brigham Young University football team and the Utah Jazz as well as Pa. Senator Bob Casey.

READ MORE ABOUT EASTON’S JOURNEY

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