Merced College football player's family waits helplessly for signs of hope

Randy Huddleston took his right arm in his left hand and began to squeeze.

He closed his eyes, imagining it was his son's hand.

Moments later, he rubbed the head of Max Masood, a family friend, and again, pretended it was his son's.

"I can reach out and touch him, grab his feet with those long toes. Those big size 15s," Huddleston said, chuckling at the thought of his son Kameron's massive feet.

"He's got braids, too, so I can touch his head and feel those in my hands."

Then reality struck with the force of a blindside tackle -- the kind Kameron has made famous at Merced High and Merced College.

The 18-year-old is on life support in the Intensive Care Unit at St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno. He has no brain activity -- just weeks before his 19th birthday.

It'll take nothing short of a miracle to save his life, Randy said, continuing to hold his other arm.

"Cement won't give this to me. A tombstone won't give this to me," he said, gently twisting his grip. "It won't feel the same as his skin.

"So what do you do? You got to think about his quality of life. Do we put him in one of those old people homes? Or do we let the Lord have him?"

The questions have burdened Randy and his wife Margie since post-surgery complications left Kameron at the mercy of doctors, machines and medicine.

The Merced College sophomore, an all-star defensive end and star of two Merced High championship football teams, arrived at St. Agnes for a routine surgery last Friday to fix two torn ligaments in his right knee.

The surgery was a success, but according to his family, while he was in recovery later that night, Kameron suffered flash pulmonary edema.

His lungs had filled with fluid, making it hard to breathe. A tube was inserted to help with the drainage, and he was sedated to protect his knee and the breathing device.

Kameron has been in a coma ever since.

At some point, Randy said, oxygen was cut off from his brain. CPR was administered to his only son.

The family was told by hospital staff Tuesday that Kameron "had no brain activity," Randy said.

A second opinion has been sought. The family has been in contact with a UCLA physician, who was originally scheduled to arrive at the Fresno hospital Wednesday.

As of late Thursday, the Huddlestons were still waiting to reschedule the meeting.

"We thought the guy was coming. Now what do we do?" Randy asked. "It seems like we're getting the runaround.

"It's like, 'Do something to get somebody here. You know how important it is to have someone here. Help us through this.'"

St. Agnes Medical Center declined to comment on the case.

"Regarding the patient, we aren't able to give any details about this case because of privacy laws," Director of Communications Kelley Sanchez said.

"I can tell you, in general terms, with any patient our goal is always to support the patient and their family and do whatever's in their best interest. ... To always act in their best interest."

For now, the Huddlestons will wait on the second opinion -- a report, they hope, will help provide answers to the questions that have burdened them for days now.

"I really don't know what we're going to do," Randy said. "That's something Margie, me and my daughter (Britney) have to talk about.

"We know we don't want him in some vegetated state. We don't want him to suffer. Nobody wants that. You wouldn't want that for your mom or dad. Like I said, nobody wants that.

"Every day it's a question, but we'll cross that bridge after this second opinion."

Until then, the Huddlestons will continue to hold Kameron's hand, saving his touch.

James Burns is sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at 385-2417 or via e-mail at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.