Osca Riccardi rushed to hospital, placed into induced coma: Dad Peter Riccardi speaks out
The son of an AFL legend was put on life support after doctors discovered he was battling a mysterious brain infection.
Geelong great Peter Riccardi, 51, said his son Osca was placed 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 she noticed he could barely walk or talk.
“A few Sundays ago (Osca) came home, he had been out with some of his friends, he had been to the beach, had dinner, went bowling and said he was going to bed,” Mr Riccardi told the Beyond the Boundary podcast.
‘Then he was up in the middle of the night, he was throwing up, he was feeling a bit rebellious… we just thought he was exhausted.
‘But by lunchtime he couldn’t talk and could barely walk.’
Geelong great Peter Riccardi, 51, said his son Osca was kept in a coma for three days after he started vomiting at the end of a normal day (father and son are pictured)
Osca, who was dropped from Geelong’s VFL team at the end of 2023, was rushed to hospital by his mother a few weeks ago after she noticed he could barely walk or talk.
Osca had scans done in hospital which showed there was swelling in his brain.
He simultaneously suffered from a sinus infection, an ear infection and glandular fever and was kept in an induced coma for three days.
“I’m not 100 percent sure whether the swimming did something to his ears and ended up in his brain,” Riccardi said.
The talented footballer spent four days in intensive care but is now recovering at home.
Mr Riccardi said he was ‘extremely’ lucky that his wife Mel was working from home on the day their son was rushed to hospital.
‘But he is now recovering at home, you wouldn’t have known that two weeks ago. “I saw him on a ventilator and when I see him now it’s amazing what they’re doing 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, he wouldn’t be here today.
“We’re lucky, we’re pretty lucky.
“It must have been a mother’s intuition or maternal instinct to stay home that day.”
Osca played at VFL level for Geelong but failed to make an AFL debut.
Osca had scans done in hospital which showed there was swelling in his brain
The talented player was in the ICU for four days, but is now recovering at home
