NFL whiff leads to lifesaving diagnosis for sales manager at Kentucky Derby
Mark Toothaker, a stallion sales manager at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky, suffered a seizure while watching an NFL game in December 2025, triggered by a missed field goal that caused him to laugh intensely. The seizure led to the discovery of a benign brain tumor the size of a tennis ball, which was successfully treated. Toothaker credits the incident with saving his life and later reached out to the kicker, Younghoe Koo, to thank him and invite him to visit the farm.
- ▪Mark Toothaker suffered a seizure while laughing at a missed NFL field goal by Younghoe Koo.
- ▪He was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor the size of a tennis ball after being unconscious for 25 minutes.
- ▪Toothaker's wife, Malory, is a nurse, which he believes helped save his life.
- ▪He recovered quickly and was released from the hospital within 24 hours.
- ▪Toothaker invited Koo to visit Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, to thank him personally.
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CBS Mornings How a whiffed NFL field goal helped save this Kentucky Derby horse expert's life .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-cbs-mornings.jpg'); } By Kelly O'Grady Kelly O'Grady Co-host, "CBS Saturday Morning" and "CBS News 24/7 Mornings"; Correspondent, MoneyWatch Kelly O'Grady is a co-host of "CBS Saturday Morning" and "CBS News 24/7 Mornings" on CBS News 24/7, CBS News' national free streaming news network. She also a CBS News MoneyWatch correspondent.
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