Former Silver Fern Tania Dalton’s life support has been turned off five days after she collapsed when she suffered a brain aneurysm during a social game of touch rugby.
The 45-year-old was admitted to Auckland City Hospital in a critical condition on Thursday.
“It is expected that she will slip away when she is ready, any time from now,” her family said in a statement.
Her family kept a vigil by her bedside.
Dalton had suffered a ruptured internal carotid artery aneurysm, her family said.
The internal carotid arteries supply blood to the front of the brain.
Test results revealed that the internal aneurysm she had resulted in massive blood loss and ultimately loss of oxygen to the brain for an extended period.
“The damage has now been accepted as irreversible and so the family had no choice but to allow nature to take its course,” her family said.
Dalton, who made her way through the netball ranks under her maiden name, Tania Nicholson, played 12 tests for the Silver Ferns, making her debut against South Africa in 1996 under coach Leigh Gibbs.
The goal shoot/goal attack played in the the 2003 world championships in Kingston,
Jamaica, which New Zealand won, pipping Australia 49-47 in the final.
Her international career went from 1996–2004 and then from 2006–07, punctuated by breaks through giving birth to her three children and also with injuries.
Domestically, she played for the Northern Force and the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic, before a highly impressive stint with the Southern Sting, from 2002-06, during which the side won three national titles.
After retiring, she has been a netball commentator for Sky Sport, noted for speaking candidly.
She and her family are active in the North Harbour sporting community.
Former rival, long-time Australian goal shoot Catherine Cox, messaged her best to Dalton’s loved ones through Twitter.
“Thought and prayers with Tania Dalton’s family and friends during this horrific time. We are all thinking of you.”
-Stuff
