Tejada still in guarded condition

There is no certainty on whether or not Purefoods forward Eugene Tejada will fully recover from the cervical vertebrae dislocation he suffered from a bad fall during a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) game against Red Bull at the Ynares Center in Antipolo last Sunday.

But sources close to Tejada said yesterday he is slowly recovering and the positive signs are he can feel his lower extremities and his upper body was not affected. However, he is not yet able to move his legs.

A team of doctors, led by San Miguel Corp. surgeon Dr. Orson Odulio and Purefoods physician Dr. Raffy Sanchez, is closely monitoring Tejada’s condition. Surgery to implant a titanium plate for a spinal fusion is under consideration and a decision to operate may be made when Tejada’s father Danny planes in from the US tomorrow.

A CT-Scan on Tejada showed a dislocation of the cervical vertebrae c2 to c7, the c5 went over the c6, the doctors said. It appeared that Tejada suffered an anterior dislocation of the spinal cord, affecting his motor ability while leaving his sensory ability intact.

Tejada was undergoing an MRI at presstime.

Even with a titanium plate in his back, Tejada may still be able to play, said a PBA physical rehabilitation specialist citing the case of a professional wrestler who recovered from a similar injury.

"He’s conscious and he can talk," said Tejada’s girlfriend Jenny Hernandez, a TV actress who watched in horror from the stands as the 6-5 player grabbed a rebound, fell on his back and absorbed the full impact of Red Bull center Mick Pennisi free-falling on his body. "He’s doing better. He’s very grateful to the PBA family, the Purefoods management, his coaches, his teammates and the fans for their expressions of concern and prayers."

Tejada, 25, was in tears when he couldn’t move his legs and lay motionless on the floor. Hernandez rushed to his side from the stands and wiped his tears away in an emotional scene that was caught on TV.

Hernandez and Tejada’s aunt Ina Carinal, a nurse, were sleepless in the hospital that night. Carinal was booked to leave for San Francisco yesterday but postponed her departure.

Rene Pardo, Purefoods representative to the PBA Board of Governors, said he thought of forfeiting the game with Tejada lying on the court, 5:47 left and Red Bull on top by 19.

"I consulted (coach) Ryan (Gregorio) and (team manager) Alvin (Patrimonio)," said Pardo who was in the stadium with Purefoods president Francisco Alejo. "Our only concern was Eugene. We thought of conceding the game. We didn’t have too many players left on the bench. Then, the Lifeline ambulance arrived and the coaches decided to finish playing for the fans who waited over 40 minutes for the game to continue."

Pardo said at the Makati Medical Center, Tejada asked if he could play again. "I told Eugene not to worry about that," said Pardo. "Our primary concern is his full recovery, that’s all."

Tejada’s father Danny, a former San Beda College cager, is arriving tomorrow from the US. Also flying in after a few days are his mother Angeles, brother and sister. His parents are both from Batangas.

Tejada was born in Daly City and played for Chabot College before he was picked by Alaska on the second round in the 2003 PBA draft. Tejada played three years for the Aces then suited up for San Miguel Beer in the last Fiesta Conference. He was signed by Purefoods this conference and has since played quality minutes, scoring a career-high 17 points against the Beermen last April 9.

"It is indeed a very unfortunate incident," said Gregorio. "In times like that, winning or losing does not matter anymore. My primordial concern is the health of Eugene. I was touched when I approached him. He looked at me and said, while he was lying on the floor, ‘I’m sorry, coach." Great heart. I told him not to say sorry. I whispered to him, ‘stay strong and we love him." When he left the court, I huddled my players to say a prayer for Eugene. We kept on praying ‘til the end of the game."

Meantime, PBA commissioner Noli Eala said the league is taking the unfortunate incident with a heavy heart and said they will exert every effort to provide him assistance for his speedy recovery.

In another development, the PBA and its quick, response service provider, Lifeline Arrows Medical Specialists, have already met to strengthen its emergency response capability in the future to prevent and rectify the emergency response system.

"While it is provided in our contract that a stand-by medical team and ambulance would be in the PBA’s playing venues at all times, the circumstances brought about by the recent typhoon "Caloy" inadvertently prevented full emergency provisions for the PBA," said Eala.