Soccer Superfan Honored At Seton Hall Game After Rallying From Open Heart Surgery

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — A 10-year-old sports fan who made an inspiring comeback from open heart surgery recently got a chance to step onto the field as a guest of honor at a Seton Hall men’s soccer game in Essex County.

Camden Turkowski, a fifth-grader from Washington Township, was a special guest of Seton Hall when they hosted Rutgers University on Aug. 24 at Owen T. Carroll Field in South Orange.

With his big sister away at college, Turkowski was joined at the game by his mother and father. Following his arrival on campus, the young soccer superfan met with players during pre-game activities and spent time with head coach Andreas Lindberg.

According to RWJ Barnabas Health – the official health care provider of Seton Hall Athletics – Turkowski was born with an atrial septal defect: a hole in his heart.

In December 2022, Turkowski was admitted to RWJBarnabas Health’s Children’s Heart Center at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, where he had open heart surgery.

Since then, the tenacious youth has shown tremendous grit and determination. After the surgery and his recovery, Turkowski’s doctors gave him the green light to resume activities, and he was soon back on the field playing his favorite sport.

The New Jersey resident is currently on a travel soccer club team, where he plays striker and has a knack for scoring goals.

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