Samboy shows signs of recovery

MANILA, Philippines - PBA legend Samboy Lim remains in a state of unconsciousness but there are positive signs that he may recover sooner or later as his family, friends and fans continue to storm the heavens with prayers.

It has been over a week that Lim, 52, collapsed after playing briefly in a game organized by Resorts World Manila at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig. Lim started for the Legends squad coached by Bogs Adornado and had scored a pair of three-point baskets when he was recalled to the bench. Lim complained of shoulder pain, drank water then collapsed beside teammate Noli Locsin. There was neither a doctor in attendance nor an ambulance on standby. No CPR was applied on Lim who lost consciousness and was rushed to Medical City by teammate Alvin Patrimonio. He had no pulse when admitted to the emergency section but was revived by doctors.

Lim’s family, including his 17-year-old daughter Jaime, and close friends met with doctors at Medical City that Friday night when he collapsed. Among those who were at the medical conference presided by cardiologist Dr. Eric Cinco were PBA legends Patrimonio, Jerry Codiñera, Nelson Asaytono and Allan Caidic. Lim’s sister Maricor has since flown in from the US to be with her brother, one of five children. Lim was only 13 when his father died in his sleep. Only brother Bonbon is watching over him at the ICU.

To arrest damage to the brain, doctors kept Lim’s body in therapeutic hypothermia where the temperature was at 32 degrees for 48 hours. Lim’s family consented to the procedure. Doctors also asked the family if they could perform dialysis in case of kidney failure while in the ICU.  However, Lim’s vital organs continue to function so that there has been no need for remedial treatment. Lim’s heart and blood pressure are stable.

Neurological tests show brain activity but doctors remain guarded in their evaluation of his mental condition. His body was out of oxygen for roughly 23 minutes and the usual allowable limit is only six minutes. But the family was encouraged by news that a friend had suffered a similar cardiac arrest, lost oxygen for about 20 minutes and after 10 days from a state of unconsciousness, woke up. There was some damage to the brain but the friend is now undergoing therapy and on the road to recovery.

“Samboy is a fighter,” said a former teammate. “We are praying that he wakes up and recovers. We are all encouraged by positive signs. We are optimistic.” Lim’s brother Bonbon has the word “faith” tattooed on his neck and it’s his battlecry in this struggle to regain consciousness.

The other day, Samboy was taken off sedatives and registered what doctors said were “small milestones.” “He yawned, there was more pupil reactivity, he is off the sedatives,” a text message said. “He’s off blood pressure medication and his blood pressure is fine. He will start physical therapy, passive rehab first while in bed. It’s still at a wait-and-see stage but the family is welcoming the good news. We continue to pray.”

A strong positive signal is Lim’s brain stem functioning for breathing and autonomous movements. “We have to wait for Samboy to start responding,” said the message. “Different time periods for different patients. So we still need more prayers. The rest of his organs all stable, showing us how he is a top-notch athlete. These are small milestones in the big scheme of things but milestones nonetheless. His CT Scan showed no swelling of the brain and with his pupils showing reactivity, his brain stem is good. Kidney is functioning despite the fact that impact was expected.”

Doctors are adopting a no-visitors-allowed policy so the family is able to attend to Lim privately. However, a rare exception was Robert Jaworski who went to the hospital a few days ago to provide a major moral boost. Jaworski coached Lim on the Philippine team that took the silver medal in basketball at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.

During Lim’s basketball career, he survived at least nine surgeries. He tore the rotator cuff in both shoulders and had a variety of major injuries in his knees and ankles. Lim, known as the Skywalker, used to defy gravity and risk serious injury in daring, high-flying moves on the court, endearing him to millions of fans. He played in 335 games over 10 PBA seasons, averaging 16 points, and was on the San Miguel Beer team that captured a Grand Slam in 1989. Lim won championships as a high school player with San Beda and a collegiate star with Letran. He starred on the Philippine squad that won the Jones Cup in 1985 and the FIBA Asia championship in 1985-86.