Son of Blue Jays’ Erik Swanson out of ICU: ‘We are so grateful’

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DUNEDIN — After what had to have been an excruciating three days keeping vigil over their injured four-year-old son, Blue Jays reliever Erik Swanson and his family received some positive news late on Wednesday.

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Swanson’s wife Madison posted on her Instagram account that young Toby Swanson had been moved out of the ICU unit of a local children’s hospital after being struck by an SUV on Sunday at Clearwater Beach.

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“I don’t have the words, idk (I don’t know) where to begin,” Madison Swanson wrote in an Instagram Story post with a photo of her son’s scraped hand wearing a hospital bracelet. “We have been overwhelmed with love and support over the past few days. To the people who have reached out in any capacity, we will never be able to express in words how meaningful it has been.

“We don’t have the mental capacity to reach out to you all but we see you, we hear you. It’s what has gotten our little boy through all this.”

Swanson, who is on a leave from the team as Toby recovers, brought his son to the Jays player development complex earlier this month with the youngster decked out in Blue Jays gear.

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Toby was flown by helicopter to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg where he was initially listed in critical condition. The youngster turned four years old in January.

“The most important update is that Toby is out of the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) and we are continuing to take it day by day. God is so good and we are so blessed,” Madison Swanson wrote on Instagram Wednesday night.

She added: “We are so grateful for the speedy first responders to the accident, the pedestrians that helped us as we waited for the next step and the AMAZING staff at St. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Someone has truly been watching over my little man.”

Jays players and coaches have been offering constant support to the Swansons, a popular family in the team community.

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“You spend so much time with a guy that you really become like family,” said closer Jordan Romano, whose locker is next to Swanson’s. “When something like this happens, you’re trying to do whatever you can to support him and his family, whatever it might be.

“We’re all here for him. We’re all pulling for him. It’s been great the way the organization has been helping him out and helping the guys out.”

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