Tennis player paralyzed in collision with brick wall
Man playing at LO racquet club faces Christopher Reeve-like injuries
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Stuart Sims crashed into a brick wall while playing tennis at Mountain Park Rac-quet Club on Jan. 10.
In a tragic accident on Jan. 10, Stuart Sims, 57, of Tualatin Hills Tennis Center, was playing a 7.0 USTA mixed doubles match at Mountain Park Racquet Club when he crashed into the brick wall on court six and crumpled to the ground.
After impact, Sims of Aloha was not breathing or moving. Fortunately, two nurses — one of whom was Lori Zoborowski of Lake Oswego — were on adjacent courts and quickly gave him CPR until his vital signs returned.
“The crash was so loud, that we thought a car had hit the building. Never in our wildest dreams did we associate the sound with anyone being injured,” said a woman playing tennis on court seven on the other side of the wall.
“The Lake Oswego Fire Department responded immediately,” said Karey Welling of Moutain Park Racquet Club. “They are fairly close, and they got here within minutes.”
Sims is now listed in serious condition at Oregon Health Sciences University where doctors determined his neck and spinal cord injuries may result in his being paralyzed from the neck down.
“His condition appears to be almost identical to that of actor Christopher Reeves,” a Mountain Park member, who chose to remain anonymous, wrote in a letter to the Review.
According to Sims’ journal posted by his wife, Joni, and two daughters, Lori and Jamie, on CaringBridge.org, doctors have taken a small bone graft from his right hip and placed it near the spine injury at the C1 and C2 vertebrae. While this will limit his range of motion by 50 percent, his first joint movement still exists (from the skull to the C1 vertebrae). This is good news in case a mouth-controlled wheelchair is needed.
A tracheotomy was done to replace the breathing tube through his mouth, and “after several attempts to insert (the feeding tube) through the right side of the nose a switch to the left side worked,” they wrote.
This enables Sims to communicate. He can now sit upright in what he calls his “special” chair for several hours in a row.
“We have received thousands of prayers and well wishes from people all over the country,” said Glen Sims, Stu’s brother from Eugene. “We have a large family, and we are all pulling together to get through this.”
“Stuart and his wife Joni have been long-time tennis players here,” said Brian Leahy, Tualatin Hills Tennis Center supervisor. “Stu played two or three times a week. The tennis community instantly responded to his tragedy — people who knew him, and even those that didn’t. It has been amazing. Tennis players are a very closely knit group, and when something happens to one of our own, we all come together.”
“This is a very unfortunate accident, and our thoughts and concerns go out to the Sims family,” said Welling of Mountain Park.
For more information on Sims’ condition or to make a donation, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/stuartsims .