Heartbreaking family revelation from Canberra Raiders NRL star Corey Harawira-Naera after seizure

The horrifying collapse and seizure of Canberra Raiders hard man Corey Harawira-Naera, didn’t just upset the world of footy fans watching on, it broke the spirit of his five-year-old son too.

On May 28 during the game between Souths and Canberra, the Auckland-born Raiders’ star sensationally and stunningly collapsed to the ground forcing the game to stop for 10 minutes as doctors rushed onto the field to treat him.

The players from both sides, recognising the severity of the moment, sprung as one into action to form a shield around Harawira-Naera to give him some privacy as medical experts raced onto the field.

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart rushed to the sideline to check on the player’s welfare.

But, a month on from the incident, while it appears the big forward is recovering physically, he has revealed his son now doesn’t want to play the game anymore.

At the time of the seizure players from both South Sydney and Canberra formed a protective ring around him as he lay receiving treatment

‘Giving the game away crossed my mind when it first happened,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.

‘It was a shock and my family felt the same way.

‘The bit that really got me was my five-year-old son. He saw it on TV and doesn’t want to play footy anymore. Lucky he wasn’t at the game.’

The actual cause of the seizure is not yet known, because the way he collapsed and his movements during the seizure are consistent with neural activities but his blood count suggests it may have come from the heart.

Images of his collapse were seen by all fans watching on and everyone felt sickened and saddened by Harawira-Naera’s health problems

He has had raised levels of enzymes in his blood (a heart problem indicator) which has slowed down testing procedures for the final diagnosis.

‘The blood tests showed there was a bit of inflammation around the heart from the seizure,’ the forward said.

‘We’re just waiting for the enzyme levels to come down and I’ll then see a cardiologist.

‘It’s a bit frustrating because it’s been a month this weekend. I’m feeling much better, but I’ve got no answers. 

‘The doctors are still trying to rule different things out.’

Rothfield also spoke with Kiwi and Canberra Raiders club medico, Dr Greg Macleod.

‘He’s having ongoing tests to make sure we’re not missing something serious,’ admitted the doctor.

‘Raised enzymes are an indication there has been some strain on the heart. That’s why we’re treating it with a bit of caution. We’ve just got to figure out what caused it.

‘If you watch the video it very much looks like something neurological, more than the heart.

‘He’s had a seizure but he doesn’t collapse and have a seizure, which is the usual heart story, he has a seizure and then collapses.’

The Kiwi is pleased with his progress and very hopeful of a return to the paddock later this season

Dr Macleod is hoping he will play again this year.

‘He’s had a whole lot done that has been reassuring,’ he said.

‘He’s doing very well.’

The Kiwi born forward is hopeful of a return to playing by the end of the year but he, the doctor and coach Ricky Stuart, will not allow that to happen unless he is 100 per cent cleared of all medical issues.

‘Corey’s health is far more important than any football game,’ coach Stuart said. 

‘We’ll make sure we get a full medical clearance before he even thinks about playing or doing any contact training. The signs are looking encouraging but we’ve got to go through the process.’