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Muamba collapased on the pitch during an FA Cup tie against Tottenham. Daniel Hambury/PA Wire/Press Association Images

My survival is 'more than a miracle' - Muamba

The Bolton footballer also thanked Dr Andrew Deaner for helping to save his life.

BOLTON PLAYER FABRICE Muamba has described his recovery from the cardiac arrest he suffered against Tottenham last month as “more than a miracle”.

In an interview with The Sun, the player spoke of his battle to survive:

“Someone up there was watching over me. What happened to me was really more than a miracle.

“On the morning of the game I prayed with my father and asked God to protect me – and he didn’t let me down.

“I am walking proof of the power of prayer. For 78 minutes I was dead and even if I lived was expected to have suffered brain damage.”

Speaking about the moment of his collapse, he said he was not feeling particularly unwell in the lead up to the game, and added:

“It wasn’t normal dizziness – it was a kind of surreal feeling like I was running along inside someone else’s body.”

Muamba also paid tribute to Dr Andrew Deaner, who help save his life, saying: “I owe him everything.”

The player has experienced a remarkable recovery since the incident, and was recently discharged from hospital.

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    Mute John Cleary
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 12:01 PM

    Sean, just about the most ignorant, conceited comment I’ve seen here, and thats saying something.

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 12:13 PM

    John I agree, awful remark!

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    Mute Ian Walsh
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 12:31 PM

    Dont even honour Sean with a response because thats all he is looking for.

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    Mute Nucky Thompson
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 11:43 AM

    This story is truly remarkable. Best of luck to him.

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 11:51 AM

    This is such an inspiring story, truly great…best of luck to this young man, as my mum would say, his number wasn’t up!

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    Mute Gavin Tobin
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 12:24 PM

    Spot on Sean. Miracle my arse. He had the heart attack at the right time in the right place in close proximity to medical persons with the skill set to save his life.

    Thanking god is an insult to the medics.

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    Mute Brendan Walsh
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 12:41 PM

    Keep telling yourself that it it makes you feel better.

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    Mute mart_n
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 12:49 PM

    He also thanked the medics and said that he owes everything to Andrew Deaner. How do you know that doctors would be insulted by him thanking “God”? All they care about is treating the patient as best they can, and if having a belief that a deity is responsible for that; improves their chances then doctors wouldn’t be offended by it, they’d most likely welcome it.

    It’s stupid the things that people react to sometimes.. there’s no need to take offense on behalf of others. And in a story like this, there is no need to be annoyed by what the person involved says, believes or thanks.

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    Mute Soupy Norman
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 11:38 PM

    I know where you’re coming from Gavin but I think in this situation you should respect someones faith.

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    Mute Sean Smith
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 11:46 AM

    ‘The power of prayer’, perhaps next time he will pray not to have a heart-attack and save the doctors the trouble of confirming his superstitions.

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    Mute molly
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 12:43 PM

    Gavin & Sean. Such a display of conceit & arrogance

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    Mute Mark Phillips
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 1:35 PM

    Whilst they could have said it in a nicer way, it’s true that it wasn’t a miracle. He survived because there was a cardiologist in the crowd who ran onto the pitch and helped save his life. If you think there is a god that fixed him rather than the doctor, then what about the many people around the world who die every day with heart attacks? God doesn’t care enough about them to fix them? Thank god if you want but I think it’s clear science and the doctors involved can really take the credit here!

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    Mute pip white
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 1:59 PM

    why is it so hard for some posters on here to get their heads around the fact that some people in the world believe in religion or have some kind of faith. It is petty amazing that the guy is alive and has no damage to him. If he believes that god had something to do with him surviving then so be it. He also has thanked the medical staff that took care of him. a few times. it’s not up to us to slam what others believe in. same way as it’s not up to me to shove my beliefs down someone else’s neck . Let the chap just have his faith and beliefs

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    Mute Nucky Thompson
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 2:49 PM

    Spot on.

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    Mute Simon Cunnane
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 4:53 PM

    If he believes in it, fine. I don’t doubt that his faith helped him. But to say that the god he believes in ACTUALLY helped is simply wrong.

    As posters have said above, it was a matter of circumstance. Italian footballer Piermario Morosini (http://yhoo.it/JDoXGr) experienced the same thing 4 weeks after the Muamba incident, but unfortunately he was not so lucky. Are you saying that his teammates, family and friends didn’t pray for him? It didn’t seem to matter if they did, 3 cardiac arrests in quick succession resulted in his death.

    Pip, it’s not that we can’t get our heads around it. People have had faith of some sort since time began, yet not once has there been proof that any of these gods exist. There is however, a full body of proof that early intervention can prevent death due to cardiac arrest.

    Just because Muamba believes God saved him, doesn’t make it true.

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    Mute Ann-Marie Wallis
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 10:24 PM

    Nice one Pip, one of the best comments I’ve seen all week.

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    Mute Sean Smith
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 11:48 AM

    Superstitions confirmed. Oh dear.

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    Mute Jay Warner
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 1:55 PM

    I’m curious as to whether he will be donating his very generous fee from the Sun to either The Heart Foundation or The Church of the God he believes actually saved him or split it between the two equally… I would hazard a guess it will actually be none of the above though…

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    Mute Paul Clarkson
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 2:18 PM

    Wrong on many counts there

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    Mute Jay Warner
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 5:20 PM

    On what counts there Paul? Are you saying that the Sun didn’t pay him for the interview? AND that given the circumstances you would not feel morally obliged to then donate that money to either or both parts of the community that you believed are the only reason you are still alive? You must be saying that your conscience would be clear if it happened to you and you just pocketed the money? I not sure how anyone could be that low as an person no matter what the did or not believe in on the religious front. I know I’d be truly ashamed of myself if I ever thought like that.

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    Mute Jay Warner
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 5:25 PM

    BTW. If he has or is donating the fee, good on him. I really don’t care what someone elses religious beliefs are just that people behave in a fair and equitable manner to each other and society at large.

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    Mute Kevin Elliott
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 9:30 PM

    Well done on turning a genuinely happy outcome to this story in to yet another opportunity for this contrived religion vs science debate. You do a great job of selling atheist morality to the rest of us.

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    Mute Roos Demol
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 5:04 PM

    Thank you. Simon!
    Pip: Just imagine the people who have lost loved ones on the pitch due to cardiac arrest. Were they not good enough to be saved? Fine god you guys believe in! No one is insulting Muamba here, they are just expressing their opinion. If you can’t take that, just stay away from fora like these.

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    Mute pip white
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    Apr 23rd 2012, 9:42 AM

    look at end of the day that chap survived and if he believes that a god he prays to helped him along the way then so be it. and if his beliefs was in little green men in silver space ships again so be it. its not up to up to question anyone’s faith and beliefs. we may have an opinion. and yeah he was very lucky that the Dr was in the crowd. and I feel for all the other people who did not make it . and yes maybe it is down to the science of medicine . but as I said people have beliefs. and on there may be no

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    Mute pip white
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    Apr 23rd 2012, 9:45 AM

    there may be no proof that god exists but we don’t know that for sure. and their is always the posters on here that once anything to do with religion comes up. your views are the important one cos you foot have a religion. and that’s fine but don’t lump everyone I’m the same boat as you.

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