Long Island varsity football player critical after heatstroke

STONY BROOK, N.Y. (WABC) -- A high school football player in Riverhead remains hospitalized in critical condition and on dialysis Friday after suffering heat stroke during practice earlier this week.

Nikolas Visco was taken to Stony Brook Children's Hospital on Monday after he told coaches he wasn't feeling well as practice ended. The team's trainer immediately called an ambulance, and he was said to have a temperature of 108 degrees when he arrived at the hospital.

The Riverhead High School junior also suffered from kidney and liver failure.

Dr. Daniel Sloniewsky says Visco was on dialysis but added it wasn't clear if the kidney problem was permanent or temporary.

"As of right now, his liver appears to be improving," Dr. Sloniewsky said. "His kidneys are being supported by dialysis that we provide, but we're not going to know for days or even weeks whether his kidneys will ever come back."

The Visco family released the following statement:

"We would like to thank our family and friends, and others in the community along with our son, Nikolas Visco's friends and fellow teammates, for their concerns about Nikolas while he is being cared for at Stony Brook Children's Hospital. He remains in critical condition and is being taken care of by a very experienced team of doctors and nurses. We are very grateful and thankful for the care he is receiving. Out of concern for Nikolas' well-being, we ask that you respect his privacy and our family's privacy as we all focus our energy on helping Nikolas recover."

Experts say heat stroke begins with muscle cramps in the legs or abdomen, headache, very heavy sweating, and cool, moist skin. It can lead to fever of 104 degrees or above, dry, hot and red skin, confusion, , shallow breathing and a rapid, weak pulse. By then, it is a potentially fatal condition.

Visco's prognosis is still uncertain, but his doctors now expect he will recover.

The temperature was 86 Monday morning and the heat index was 92. A heat alert is mandatory when the index reaches 95. The team was practicing under a self-imposed modified heat alert.