The parents of Central Florida quarterback McKenzie Milton provided some encouraging news about their son, who suffered a gruesome leg injury in Friday’s victory over South Florida.
They reported that blood flow has returned to his leg following Friday’s emergency surgery and that reconstructive surgery will be performed at an undetermined time in the future.
Here is the family’s entire statement:
“On behalf of our son, Mckenzie Milton, and our family, we want to thank the doctors and nurses at Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida and UCF medical staff and athletic trainers for their teamwork and prompt attention to McKenzie’s injuries.
“His blood flow has been restored to his right leg and his nerve is injured but intact. He is recovering and healing and is receiving the best medical care. At a later time, he will have reconstructive surgery to repair his knee. That date has not been determined at this time.
“Mckenzie and our entire family are so touched and grateful for the prayers, support, and well wishes. Mckenzie is in good spirits and has a very positive attitude. He looks forward to cheering on his teammates in their quest for another conference championship this Saturday.
“At this time, Mckenzie would like to maintain his privacy to get the proper rest, medical care, and healing before he grants any interviews. We appreciate everyone’s understanding of this request. Knight Nation is part of our Ohana and we feel very blessed as a family. Aloha. Mark & Teresa Milton.”
After suffering the injury on Friday, Milton underwent emergency surgery to repair unspecified damage in his knee as well as “other internal issues.”
On Saturday, the McKenzie family issued a statement that said the surgery was a success.
On Monday, one of Milton’s teammates, Jordan Johnson, told ESPN he had FaceTimed with Milton recently and that Milton said he was able to take steps for the first time since the surgery.
“I called him to see how he was doing, and he was letting us know that he’s there for us,” Johnson told ESPN. “He wants to see us succeed, so we’re out there playing for McKenzie. We want to go out there and win for him. It was all good vibes. I told him it was good to see him smiling. He said that he got to walk the other day, and he never appreciated walking as much.”
