Kidneys send Napper back to the hospital

The Pitt student who was shot Sept. 4 on Atwood Street is back in the hospital.

Matthew A…. The Pitt student who was shot Sept. 4 on Atwood Street is back in the hospital.

Matthew A. Napper, a fifth-year history major and Delta Tau Delta fraternity brother, was readmitted to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital yesterday morning, Napper’s father said.

“There were some problems,” Mercer Napper said. “The surgical staff had warned us about this before [he was discharged].”

Napper was readmitted as a result of complications affecting his kidneys.

“We thought they might recover on their own, since he was recovering so quickly,” Napper’s father said, adding that doctors plan to monitor his son’s condition over the next few days.

If his condition does not improve, Napper may need to have one of his kidneys removed.

“Our big concerns are his health and academics right now,” his father said. “He may lose a semester because of this. We weren’t sure of how his kidneys would perform. There may be underlying problems, since he’s gone a little south, now.”

The Napper family has nothing but praise for the Pittsburgh Police Department and the Pitt police.

“The city detectives did a good job putting together everything,” he said. “And [Pitt] is a fine learning institution. It’s the environment around the campus that needs cleaned up.”

Mercer Napper added that he and his family were especially grateful to a Pitt police officer named Richard, who spent some time with the family at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital the morning of the shooting.

“We wanted to say thanks to him,” he said. “It was something out of his realm, but he still took the time out.”

UPMC is not releasing any information concerning Napper’s condition at this time.