Heart transplants come with plenty of post-operation concerns, and with difficulties for many in getting back to regular life. Getting back to high-level athletics shortly after a transplant is even more rare. But 23-year-old Ryan Scoble has done just that, again suiting up for the NCAA Division II lacrosse powerhouse Mercyhurst Lakers as a defenseman less than two years after he needed a heart transplant thanks to myocarditis. Jason Gay explored that story in The Wall Street Journal this week:
This is my favorite story in a long time:
Two years ago, college athlete Ryan Scoble was dying. A heart transplant saved his life.
Now he's back — on the field, playing college lacrosse.https://t.co/aqG47aqXhJ
— Jason Gay (@jasongay) April 15, 2023
As Gay explores there, it’s been quite the journey for Scoble. He started experiencing heart issues in the spring of 2021, and that came after his father Steve experienced heart issues the previous year. Steve received a left ventricular assist device in November 2020, while a chest exam for Ryan that spring revealed a heart “the size of a grapefruit.” That cardomyopathy, or heart enlargement, is presumed to be inherited, but that’s not for sure; what is clear is that Ryan got a heart transplant on May 11, 2021, and Steve got one on Sept. 22, 2021. And, after that transplant, Ryan has worked his way back to top-level lacrosse competition. Gay notes that he got some advice from former soccer player Simon Keith, who returned to play for UNLV and then had a pro career after a heart transplant in the 1980s:
“You’re traveling down this path that makes no logical sense to anybody but yourself,” Keith says.
“Everybody around you has seen you go through this horrific health journey, and most of them just want you to be grateful on the other side,” Keith says. “I understand. But what’s the whole point if you can’t resume the life that you were meant to live?”
Ryan Scoble also has some notable comments in there, including about his tattoo (seen at right):
Returning to play lacrosse at Mercyhurst was a bigger challenge. “A hard sell,” Scoble says, laughing. “I wouldn’t say they were opposed, but they had questions.” After all, it was the team that had noticed his decline and set in motion the events that led to his transplant.
“I’m not just here to put on a jersey,” Scoble says. “I’m here to get it done.”
Down Scoble’s chest there’s an eight-inch scar that runs from his clavicle to just below his sternum. Right above where his new heart beats, there’s now a tattoo. It features a shattered Grim Reaper’s scythe, and two words:
NOT TODAY.
It really is remarkable to see this comeback from Scoble. And he’s been an important piece for the Lakers, who are currently ranked No. 4 nationally. It will be interesting to see what he’s able to contribute to them on an ongoing basis.
