The caller was frantic — someone at USC’s palatial Galen Center was suffering a serious medical emergency.
“We need an ambulance. Immediately,” the man on the phone said.
“Listen,” he repeated. “Listen, listen, listen, listen, OK? Get an ambulance here. Now!”
The 911 dispatcher remained calm. He let the man know paramedics were on the way.
“Alright sir, we’re going to send help,” the unnamed dispatcher said. “Don’t hang up, sir. Don’t hang up.”
The dispatcher stayed on the phone with the caller for less than a minute, but that was all that was needed to ensure Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of NBA superstar Lebron James who recently joined USC’s men’s basketball team, was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday, July 24.
The younger James was “successfully treated for a sudden cardiac arrest,” the hospital said in a statement.
Hospital officials also credited USC athletics’ medical staff for a “swift and effective response” when James collapsed on Monday during a basketball practice at the Galen Center. They said the 18-year-old was “conscious, neurologically intact and stable,” when he arrived at Cedars-Sinai.
“Mr. James was cared for promptly by highly-trained staff and has been discharged home, where he is resting,” they said.
The audio of the call, which was obtained through a request under the California Public Records Act, was heavily redacted and did not identify the caller or the person suffering the medical emergency by name. There was also no information in the audio identifying what medical issue the person was suffering from.
In a tweet Thursday morning, Lebron James thanked those who reached out to his family as news of his son’s medical emergency got out.
“I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers. We feel you and I’m so grateful,” the older James said. “We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us!”