A Mercyhurst University student-athlete is back in the game after undergoing a heart transplant at the Cleveland Clinic. 

That student shared his emotional journey and his fight to stay in the game. 

Ryan Scoble was your typical college student who appeared to have the world by its tail. The Cincinnati native was on the lacrosse team at Mercyhurst University. However, in 2021 during his junior year, something was wrong that he couldn’t put his finger on it. 

At a lacrosse game in West Virginia, things got really bad. At one point Scoble could hardly move. His trainer took him to the hospital for testing.

“I was getting EKG’s, they did a pulse shock on me, and they were really monitoring everything around my heart. And that’s when I was told that what my X-rays had shown was an inflamed heart,” said Ryan Scoble, Mercyhurst lacrosse player.

Three weeks later, Scoble withstood a heart attack at his home. He was rushed to the hospital and was told that the only option forward was a heart transplant.

“I went from being a lively, 21-year-old college student to quite honestly being dead in the matter of three months,” Scoble added.

He was taken to the Cleveland Clinic where he said he received some of the best treatment in the world. Then on May 11, 2021, he was finally able to receive a heart transplant.

However, Scoble wasn’t quite in the clear yet. For four weeks, his body rejected his new heart and he flatlined for 11 seconds.

“My immune system really fought the new heart at first and that caused me to stay overtime and deal with more medicine and more treatment on top of what I already had been given,” said Scoble.

Nine months later, following grueling rehab, he was cleared for athletic activities once more.

“I’m back at school with my team, my best friends and finishing off my college degree. I can’t really ask for much more at this time,” said Scoble.

Scoble said that he’s fortunate to have been able to return to college athletics following a heart transplant something he says that few have done.