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Georgia teen with pacemaker plays basketball again
A Georgia teen who has undergone surgeries and difficulties after being born with a heart disease hopes to play in the NCAA one day.
BROOKHAVEN, Ga. - As March Madness dominates the sports world, one Tucker High School basketball player is celebrating a hard-won victory just to stay on the court.
A.J. Johnson, a 6-foot-7-inch standout, is back to playing the game he loves after a massive growth spurt nearly cost him his life.
The backstory:
Johnson, who has relied on a pacemaker since he was 15 months old, faced a medical crisis in 2022 when his body grew too fast for his own medical equipment.
A growth spurt and a broken heart
The trouble began when Johnson shot up from 5-foot-7 to 6-foot-1 in a single summer. While the height helped his hoop dreams, the internal physical strain was dangerous.
The wires of the pacemaker in his abdomen, which were connected to his heart, could no longer sustain the stretch and broke.
The malfunction left the then-15-year-old exhausted. "I'd walk up and down the street just twice, I'd come back, I’d be tired," Johnson said.
The prospect of heart surgery was daunting. "I was angry because I didn't know what was going to happen next," he recalled.
A lifelong fight
Johnson’s battle started at birth when he was diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Born a premature infant with a complete heart block, his tiny heart was under intense strain.
His mother underwent emergency fetoscopic surgery to give AJ and his twin brother, Darien, a chance to survive.
"They're a walking testament of medical advances," his mother, Tonney Coleman, said.
In 2022, surgeons at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta removed the broken device and implanted a leadless pacemaker directly into his heart. The family said the results have been "absolutely amazing."
Looking toward the future
What's next:
Today, the high schooler plays with "dogged determination" and zero hesitation. "I'm just a dog," Johnson said of his fearless style on the court.
Beyond high school, Johnson plans to play college basketball and eventually pursue a career as a sports agent. He hopes his journey inspires other children facing similar medical hurdles.
"For the young people that's going through this, I would say it's just even being brave, just believe," Johnson said.
The Source: This is a FOX 5 original report where Kevyn Stewart spoke with A.J. Johnson and his mother.