I saw the hit and the injury live on TV and I say that it was one of those hits that doesn’t look that bad on film until the guy can’t get up. But I knew it had to be bad once I saw that they didn’t dare take his helmet off (you see helmets off in leg injuries, for instance). And then they drove the ambulance onto the field and I thought “Holy shit I hope he’s not paralyzed or dead.”
Here’s hoping Everett can not only walk but play again. He’s one of those practically nameless 1700 NFL players that, unfortunately, you never hear about unless you’re watching the game and he’s in a play or something like this happens.
I’m a Bills season ticket holder, this has been all over the news and in the paper the last three days. They started the treatment in the ambulance and he was at the hospital within 15 minutes. He was alert and talking until they put him under for surgery. Todays (as of this mornings paper) news is that they are starting to warm him up and slowly bring him out of the drug induced coma. That’s when they saw signs of response to stimuli on his arms and legs.
They are crediting immediate treatment along with him being a 25 year old athelete in great shape for the good news that he might recover.
I’m not in to football all that much, but when my husband told me about the injury and showed me the video, I cried. I hate seeing athletes hurt. It reminds me that these guys (and girls) put their lives on the line for our entertainment.
I don’t give a shit about football, either, but that doesn’t stop me from mustering enough human empathy to be glad a guy’s not going to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, or worse.
as the scrivener said up thread, hypothermia is very important when dealing with spines and brains. there is not much room for anything to swell. something for all of us to remember, you never know…
the very quick response to the injury really saved the quality of mr everett’s life. the injury site was very high up. the doctors mentioned that there was no damage to the cord. very, very important. if swelling had occured the break would have done quite a bit of damage to the cord.
the people who are on hand, to treat on field injuries are very well trained and up on the latest treatment. for them to have chilled saline on hand is not surprizing, or to have the number for spinal cord experts, no doubt on speed dial. kudos to the team that got him stabilized, started treatment, and got him to hospital.
i am very happy to hear that this fellow will have a possibly good yet long recovery.
Well, it’s still early, and a lot could happen. But I would point to the case of Reggie Brown a decade ago. He suffered a paralyzing neck injury on the field, but quick-thinking people saved his life, and although his career ended, he made pretty much a complete recovery.