Best wishes TE Kevin Everett (Bills)

[MadScientist]

I guess I don't think being dead will be that bad but if I only lost control of my body below the waist, I could deal with that but if was a quad, send me tio heaven.

Yea, I can't say for sure how I'd react but I'm pretty sure I'm with you on this one. The first still leaves you some life but the second....I'm not sure I'd find anything to enjoy.

Of course that assumes you are going to heaven, which is hardly a guarantee

Seriously, though I can see this sort of injury being much harder on an elite athlete then someone like Stephen Hawkins or Christopher Reeves. Still, all hope is not lost yet, and there are other possibilities still on the horizon. There has been a lot of progress on thought controlled artificial limbs recently.

Also there has been some encouraging results with using stem cells to restore movement in paralysis cases (animal research). Pity there is a political agenda that is slowing down the research that might help him, the guy Pacman's group shot in Vegas, and many others walk again.

[woodbuck27]

The news today on K. Everett is at least more encouraging than yesterday but his MD is still stressing cautious optimism.

[Willard]

Much better news today about Everett:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3014742

Report: Doctor says Everett has voluntary movement of arms, legsESPN.com news services

Updated: September 11, 2007, 6:23 PM ET

The doctor who performed the spinal surgery on Everett told Buffalo TV station WIVB on Tuesday that Everett has voluntary movement of his arms and legs and as a result he is optimistic that Everett will walk again.

Dr. Andrew Cappuccino told WIVB that Everett's sedation levels were lowered on Tuesday, allowing him to respond to verbal commands. WIVB also reported that Everett's latest MRI shows only a small amount of swelling on his spinal cord.

On Monday, Cappuccino said that Everett sustained a "catastrophic" and life-threatening spinal-cord injury and was unlikely to walk again.

"A best-case scenario is full recovery, but not likely," Cappuccino said Monday. "I believe there will be some permanent neurologic deficit."

Everett was hurt Sunday after he ducked his head while tackling the Denver Broncos' Domenik Hixon during the second-half kickoff. Everett dropped face-first to the ground after his helmet hit Hixon high on the left shoulder and side of the helmet.

On Monday, Cappuccino noted the 25-year-old reserve tight end did have touch sensation throughout his body and also showed signs of movement. But he cautioned that Everett's injury was life-threatening because he was still susceptible to blood clots, infection and breathing failure.


A trainer attends to Kevin Everett after he showed no signs of consciousness following a helmet-to-helmet hit on Denver's Domenik Hixon at the start of the second half.

Everett is in the intensive care unit of Buffalo's Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital, where he is under sedation and breathing through a respirator as doctors wait for the swelling to lessen.

Cappuccino repaired a break between the third and fourth vertebrae and also alleviated the pressure on the spinal cord. In reconstructing his spine, doctors made a bone graft and inserted a plate, held in by four screws, and also inserted two small rods, held in place by another four screws.

Doctors, however, weren't able to repair all the damage.

Bills punter Brian Moorman immediately feared the worst when Everett showed no signs of movement as he was placed on a backboard and, with his head and body immobilized, carefully loaded into an ambulance.

"It brought tears to my eyes," Moorman said after practice. He said the sight of Everett's motionless body brought back memories of Mike Utley, the former Detroit Lions guard, who was paralyzed below the chest after injuring his neck in a collision during a 1991 game.


Utley, Moorman recalled, at least was able to give what's become a famous "thumbs up" sign as he was taken off the field. Everett didn't.

"That's what I was waiting for, and that's what everybody else was waiting for," Moorman said. "And to have to walk back to the sideline and not see that made for a tough time."

Utley, who lives in Washington state, was saddened to see replays of Everett's collision.

"I'm sorry this young man got hurt," Utley said. "It wasn't a cheap shot. It was a great form tackle and that's it."

Cappuccino received permission to operate from Everett's mother, Patricia Dugas, who spoke by phone from her home in Houston. She and other family members arrived in Buffalo on Monday. Everett was born in Port Arthur, Texas, and played high school football there.

Buffalo's 2005 third-round draft pick out of Miami, Everett missed his rookie season because of a knee injury. He spent most of last year playing special teams. He was hoping to make an impact as a receiver.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[BallHawk]

It's still early at this point, but things look to be less bleak than they were 48 hours ago.

[b bulldog]

great news but don't all Packers fans go to heaven??

[BallHawk]

great news but don't all Packers fans go to heaven??

Yup, even ones that claim to be a fan of another team but deep down love the Packers.

Don't know who that would be, though.

[Badgerinmaine]

Glad to see the news is much more encouraging.

[Cheesehead Craig]

great news but don't all Packers fans go to heaven??

Does it matter if you like the GM?

[Badgerinmaine]

great news but don't all Packers fans go to heaven??

Does it matter if you like the GM?

The one down here or the one up there?

[Him8123]

they just reported today and I`m sure everyone here probably already knows but he has shown some movement in the arms and legs. Dr.`s say there`s a good chance he could walk again. Great news

[the_idle_threat]

Things continue to look better for Kevin Everett. It's still a long road, but he's making progress.

Source: Bills tight end Everett slightly moved 3 fingers on right hand

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
September 14, 2007


BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Kevin Everett has slightly moved three fingers on his right hand, potentially another positive sign in his recovery from a life-threatening spinal-cord injury, a person close to the family told The Associated Press on Friday.

The Buffalo tight end voluntarily moved his fingers Thursday night "more than a little bit but not with great force," said the person who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of Everett's status. "There was slight movement."

Dr. Barth Green of the Miami Project also told The Miami Herald on Friday that Everett showed movement in his fingers early Friday morning. Green said he spoke on the phone with Bills orthopedic surgeon Andrew Cappuccino, who updated him.

On Wednesday, doctors said Everett could wiggle his toes, bend his hip, move his ankles, elevate and kick his leg, as well as extend his elbows and slightly flex his biceps. But he had not been able to move his hands.

Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold didn't immediately return messages left by the AP. Officials at Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital have deferred all updates to the Bills.

Everett was hurt Sunday after ducking his head while tackling Denver's Domenik Hixon during the second-half kickoff in the season opener. The Buffalo player dropped face-first after his helmet hit Hixon high on the left shoulder and side of the helmet.

When Everett arrived at the hospital Sunday, he was paralyzed below his neck. Since then, he has shown signs of improvement and was taken off a respirator Wednesday.

[mmmdk]

Things continue to look better for Kevin Everett. It's still a long road, but he's making progress.

Source: Bills tight end Everett slightly moved 3 fingers on right hand

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
September 14, 2007


BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Kevin Everett has slightly moved three fingers on his right hand, potentially another positive sign in his recovery from a life-threatening spinal-cord injury, a person close to the family told The Associated Press on Friday.

The Buffalo tight end voluntarily moved his fingers Thursday night "more than a little bit but not with great force," said the person who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of Everett's status. "There was slight movement."

Dr. Barth Green of the Miami Project also told The Miami Herald on Friday that Everett showed movement in his fingers early Friday morning. Green said he spoke on the phone with Bills orthopedic surgeon Andrew Cappuccino, who updated him.

On Wednesday, doctors said Everett could wiggle his toes, bend his hip, move his ankles, elevate and kick his leg, as well as extend his elbows and slightly flex his biceps. But he had not been able to move his hands.

Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold didn't immediately return messages left by the AP. Officials at Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital have deferred all updates to the Bills.

Everett was hurt Sunday after ducking his head while tackling Denver's Domenik Hixon during the second-half kickoff in the season opener. The Buffalo player dropped face-first after his helmet hit Hixon high on the left shoulder and side of the helmet.

When Everett arrived at the hospital Sunday, he was paralyzed below his neck. Since then, he has shown signs of improvement and was taken off a respirator Wednesday.

Great news!

[woodbuck27]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7222522

Everett's case one-in-100,000

Alex Marvez

FOXSports.com, Updated 14 hours ago

Dr. Frederick Mueller will be adding Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett's name to his list.

As Director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina, Mueller oversees research of major spinal damage suffered by athletes.

Between 1977 and 2006, 269 football players ranging from the junior high/high school level to professionals were reported to have suffered cervical cord injuries with "incomplete neurological recovery." Nine of them were pros like Detroit Lions guard Mike Utley and New York Jets defensive lineman Dennis Byrd, who suffered career-ending spinal injuries in the early 1990s.

Mueller said the majority of the injuries were suffered during games by defensive backs and players participating on kickoffs like Everett was last Sunday when severely damaging his C-3 and C-4 vertebrae trying to tackle Denver's Domenik Hixon.

Arena Football League player Al Lucas died from blunt force trauma to his spinal cord in 2005 when trying to make a tackle on a kickoff return.


More by Alex Marvez

Why this isn't more common - Physiology was against Everett

"I think it's because of tackling in the open field where the runner and tackler have speed built up," Mueller said.

"Most of the injuries also happen when the individual tackles with their head down and makes contact with the top of the helmet."

Everett did both of those things when tackling Hixon.

Junior high and high school players had the highest total (229) of serious spinal injuries followed by those from the college ranks (33). The other five were suffered by "sandlot" players.

Mueller said he believes the higher number of injuries among junior high/high school players is the result of greater participation at that level and less experience in knowing how to properly tackle. There are roughly 1.5 million youth players compared to 75,000 in college and only several thousand professionals, according to the study.

"If you had 1.5 million pros, you'd have a high number also," Mueller said.

Mueller said there is less than a one-in-100,000 chance of a football player suffering "some kind of catastrophic injury" like Everett did.

"The risk is not that high really," Mueller said.

"But when it does happen, you have to think about that young person, especially the high school kid who becomes a permanent quadriplegic and how that affects him, his family and the whole community.

"It's pretty traumatic really."