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Without consciousness, Fabrice Muamba was practically dead for 78 minutes, says the club doctor.
The 23-year-old footballer experienced a heart attack and stopped breathing during the weekend match against London's Tottenham. Thanks to the huge efforts of the medics, they managed to save his life.
"From the moment he collapsed on the pitch, until he reached the hospital 48 minutes had passed, and then another half an hour. During that time, he was practically dead," said club doctor Jonathan Tobin. "We feared the worst and really didn't expect him to recover so quickly. It's unbelievable."
Muamba was shocked twice on the pitch, once in the tunnel, and 12 more times in the ambulance, but this measure did not help.
"When he was taken to the hospital, I cried in the corridor. He's Fabrice, not some stranger from the street - I know his family, we communicate and joke every day," the medic said in an emotional interview.
Specialists were pleased with Muamba's rapid improvement, but they did not dare predict whether he would ever be able to continue his career.
