Max
09-12-2003, 09:13 PM
HS student's back broken at football practice
By LAURA CLARK/The Daily Journal
A recent football injury that left a Ukiah High School sophomore with a broken back has again brought scrutiny to the Ukiah Unified School District's emergency policy.
On Aug. 28, a vertebra in 15-year-old Jimmy Evers' back was fractured during junior varsity football practice.
Parents are informed in writing that football is a contact sport and injuries can happen. They are required to sign a release before their child can participate.
Superintendent Gary Brawley on Wednesday discussed how Ukiah Unified staff respond to sports injuries.
"The policy is if it's a back injury they are supposed to keep them immobile and call for assistance," Brawley said, referring to the coaches.
According to Evers, that is what they did.
The coaches contacted the school's certified athletic trainer, who assessed the situation, and then had Evers walk to her office for treatment.
Brawley, who was out of town Wednesday, said he hasn't seen the written report, and doesn't yet know what the trainer felt she was diagnosing.
Evers' parents said this week they believe the situation was handled poorly.
"The nurses office called me and said she thought Jimmy had a muscle spasm and got hurt in football practice. Jimmy (later) told me she rubbed his back and put ice on it," Evers' mother, Janet, said.
"I went and picked him up, and he was sitting there alone outside the locker room. He wasn't in the nurse's office and he was crying his eyes out. He's 15 years old and it takes a lot to make a 15-year-old cry," she said, adding she had a difficult time getting him into her car, because he couldn't lift his legs.
She said he "was in such pain" she rushed him to the emergency room at Ukiah Valley Medical Center. Once there, medical staff put him on a bed and put a brace on his neck, she said. They also took an X-ray and discovered he had a broken vertebra. He was then taken by ambulance to Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa, she said.
"When they wheeled us into that back room, 10 to 12 people were standing there waiting for him," said Jimmy's father, Jim Evers.
"The doctors said the school was grossly negligent by moving him.' The T-4 vertebra was broke and pushed in his spinal canal, and was 2 millimeters away from his spinal cord. Two more millimeters and he'd probably be paralyzed," Jim Evers said.
He said the doctors at Memorial Hospital told him their son would never be able to play football again. He will be in a body cast for four months.
The couple said they don't plan to sue the school, but they feel there needs to be better procedures to follow when someone gets hurt -- whether it's by playing contact sports or swimming.
"I am not interested in suing; I met the coaches. Coach Talamo was pretty upset. He just lost his son for a bunch of actions that were human error, and they erred too," Jim Evers said. "It could happen to anybody. Coach Kates has been real good; he called my son again last night and said he'd like to have him on the sidelines wearing his jersey," Jim Evers said.
He said his nephew, who lives in Kansas City, is the same age as Jimmy, and at his nephew's school students are not allowed to practice any contact sports without an ambulance on site.
"We need something there. This kid (Jimmy) is solid muscle. He's tough, and he excels in every sport. He's an excellent athlete; it's not like he's a weakling out there who didn't know what he was doing. It could happen to anybody," Jim Evers said.
While for the most part, Jim Evers is understanding about the accident itself, he was angry about news he received Wednesday.
"My son told me they were going to flunk him. He has to go back to school Monday because his Spanish and biology teachers have told him he cannot miss any more school or he needs to transfer out of that class and take another one. He was totally upset when he found out I was going to fax a doctor's notice stating he not go back to school until Oct. 1," Jim Evers said, noting his son even asked him to change the note so he could go back to school sooner.
Jim Evers said Memorial Hospital has already billed them $300,000, which doesn't include any of the doctors who looked at their son, the ambulance ride there, or the bill from Ukiah Valley Medical Center. He said his insurance will cover part of the cost, but he is going to "have to come up with probably $100,000."
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http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/Stories/0,1413,91%257E3089%257E1625290,00.html
By LAURA CLARK/The Daily Journal
A recent football injury that left a Ukiah High School sophomore with a broken back has again brought scrutiny to the Ukiah Unified School District's emergency policy.
On Aug. 28, a vertebra in 15-year-old Jimmy Evers' back was fractured during junior varsity football practice.
Parents are informed in writing that football is a contact sport and injuries can happen. They are required to sign a release before their child can participate.
Superintendent Gary Brawley on Wednesday discussed how Ukiah Unified staff respond to sports injuries.
"The policy is if it's a back injury they are supposed to keep them immobile and call for assistance," Brawley said, referring to the coaches.
According to Evers, that is what they did.
The coaches contacted the school's certified athletic trainer, who assessed the situation, and then had Evers walk to her office for treatment.
Brawley, who was out of town Wednesday, said he hasn't seen the written report, and doesn't yet know what the trainer felt she was diagnosing.
Evers' parents said this week they believe the situation was handled poorly.
"The nurses office called me and said she thought Jimmy had a muscle spasm and got hurt in football practice. Jimmy (later) told me she rubbed his back and put ice on it," Evers' mother, Janet, said.
"I went and picked him up, and he was sitting there alone outside the locker room. He wasn't in the nurse's office and he was crying his eyes out. He's 15 years old and it takes a lot to make a 15-year-old cry," she said, adding she had a difficult time getting him into her car, because he couldn't lift his legs.
She said he "was in such pain" she rushed him to the emergency room at Ukiah Valley Medical Center. Once there, medical staff put him on a bed and put a brace on his neck, she said. They also took an X-ray and discovered he had a broken vertebra. He was then taken by ambulance to Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa, she said.
"When they wheeled us into that back room, 10 to 12 people were standing there waiting for him," said Jimmy's father, Jim Evers.
"The doctors said the school was grossly negligent by moving him.' The T-4 vertebra was broke and pushed in his spinal canal, and was 2 millimeters away from his spinal cord. Two more millimeters and he'd probably be paralyzed," Jim Evers said.
He said the doctors at Memorial Hospital told him their son would never be able to play football again. He will be in a body cast for four months.
The couple said they don't plan to sue the school, but they feel there needs to be better procedures to follow when someone gets hurt -- whether it's by playing contact sports or swimming.
"I am not interested in suing; I met the coaches. Coach Talamo was pretty upset. He just lost his son for a bunch of actions that were human error, and they erred too," Jim Evers said. "It could happen to anybody. Coach Kates has been real good; he called my son again last night and said he'd like to have him on the sidelines wearing his jersey," Jim Evers said.
He said his nephew, who lives in Kansas City, is the same age as Jimmy, and at his nephew's school students are not allowed to practice any contact sports without an ambulance on site.
"We need something there. This kid (Jimmy) is solid muscle. He's tough, and he excels in every sport. He's an excellent athlete; it's not like he's a weakling out there who didn't know what he was doing. It could happen to anybody," Jim Evers said.
While for the most part, Jim Evers is understanding about the accident itself, he was angry about news he received Wednesday.
"My son told me they were going to flunk him. He has to go back to school Monday because his Spanish and biology teachers have told him he cannot miss any more school or he needs to transfer out of that class and take another one. He was totally upset when he found out I was going to fax a doctor's notice stating he not go back to school until Oct. 1," Jim Evers said, noting his son even asked him to change the note so he could go back to school sooner.
Jim Evers said Memorial Hospital has already billed them $300,000, which doesn't include any of the doctors who looked at their son, the ambulance ride there, or the bill from Ukiah Valley Medical Center. He said his insurance will cover part of the cost, but he is going to "have to come up with probably $100,000."
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http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/Stories/0,1413,91%257E3089%257E1625290,00.html