In a now-deleted Facebook post, Erin Pearsall, the mother of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, shared how "extremely lucky" her son was to survive a gunshot wound to the chest. The injury occurred during a violent struggle with a 17-year-old who attempted to rob the rookie NFL player in Union Square on Saturday. Both Pearsall and the suspect were transported to San Francisco General Hospital following the altercation.
Erin Pearsall revealed that the bullet entered her son's chest and exited through his back.
The 49ers announced that Pearsall was released from the hospital's care on Sunday. His survival is nothing short of remarkable, considering how much worse the situation could have been. Pearsall, who will turn 24 on September 9—the same day the 49ers open their season at Levi's Stadium against the New York Jets—escaped a potentially fatal outcome.
UCSF emergency physician Dr. Jahan Fahimi, who did not treat Pearsall but spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle, outlined the key factors that gunshot victims must avoid to survive and prevent long-term damage. Fahimi emphasized three critical areas: avoiding injury to the heart or major arteries, which is often immediately fatal; avoiding injury to the spine, which can result in nerve damage or paralysis; and avoiding injury to the lungs, which can also be fatal if not treated promptly.
"If you've managed to avoid those three major anatomical areas, there are some more minor muscular or skeletal injuries that can occur that can cause significant damage," Fahimi told the San Francisco Chronicle. "But that'd be considered extremely lucky. If you're shot in the chest and you walk away without injury to those big three structures, I'd consider that patient very fortunate."
Quick response from emergency responders played a crucial role in Pearsall's survival. Upon arrival at San Francisco General Hospital, Pearsall was reportedly in "serious but stable condition." By Sunday morning, his condition had been upgraded to "fair," and he was later released.
Fahimi added that recovery time from gunshot wounds can vary greatly, making it difficult to provide an estimated timeframe in Pearsall's case without knowing the full details. However, Pearsall's youth and peak physical condition are significant advantages.
"Youth is probably the biggest factor," Fahimi said. "My hope would be he has minor injuries and he'll be able to make a full recovery. It's certainly possible someone could make a complete recovery with no long-term damage."
