Samboy stable but fight continues

MANILA, Philippines - The battle to fully recover from the debilitating effects of a cardiac arrest that left his brain without oxygen for 23 minutes over two years ago isn’t over for PBA legend Samboy Lim but the good news is the Skywalker’s condition is stable with the hope of someday, regaining his sight and speech.

Lim, 54, collapsed on the bench after playing six minutes in an exhibition basketball game at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig in November 2014. Nobody administered CPR on Lim who was rushed to The Medical City and pronounced dead on arrival upon admission. Doctors revived Lim and applied therapeutic hypothermia for 48 hours to reduce body temperature after the return of spontaneous blood circulation. He lapsed into a state of alpha coma with a high probability of never regaining consciousness. 

Lim’s family, friends and fans stormed the heavens with prayers. Miraculously, he awoke from the coma and was discharged from the hospital after over a month in confinement. Lim’s former wife Lelen Berberabe and their daughter Jamie took charge of his home care which includes daily therapy and round-the-clock supervision.

In July 2015, Lim underwent an angioplasty to skirt the blockage in two arteries and his heart is now in tip-top shape. He’s able to smile, cry and do a little bit of lip-talk. Clearly, Lim shows emotion and recognition, indicating his brain is alive. He sits on a wheelchair, a major improvement of his mobility since he could only lie in bed at the onset of his treatment. On the downside, Lim still can’t see or speak. His eyes are open but the vision has not returned. His feet have been deformed with atrophy and he suffers from involuntary movement as his brain doesn’t process the senses to control the muscles. He swallows on his own but continues to receive food through a PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tube in the stomach. 

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Berberabe said the family is encouraged by the stability of Lim’s condition. “He was stable the whole year,” she said. “No unscheduled hospitalization for him. We had him admitted once for his annual check-up which was all good. His occupational therapy and physical therapy are regular. He can swallow on command and has tasted adobo, kare-kare, sinigang and ice cream.”

While there are positive signs of recovery, Berberabe said Lim continues to suffer from spasticity. “His physical therapy is regular to counter the effects of involuntary movement,” she noted. “He continues to be aware of his surroundings, reacting to what he hears. He listens intently to stories and familiar songs, laughs when hearing funny stories. When his old friends pay him a visit, he would show that he remembers them and smiles at the stories about their past.”

Every day, Lim is wheeled to a balcony on the floor of his unit in the Wack-Wack condominium where he stays and enjoys the sun, accounting for a healthy skin tone. “His muscle tone is also good, considering that he still can’t move autonomously,” said Berberabe. “We still wait for the day that he will see or speak, God willing.”

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As for their 19-year-old daughter Jamie, Berberabe said the second year Math major of UP Diliman is focused on her studies but manages to find time for karate. Jamie has won over 60 international and national gold medals in kata and kumite competitions.

“Jamie has adjusted well in UP,” said Berberabe. “Her club AAK (Association for the Advancement of Karatedo), under Shihan Pocholo Veguillas and Sensei Richard Lim, is working hard to make sure their karatekas will have a shot at the national and regional games and hopefully, the Olympics now that karate is an Olympic sport. Even if Jamie is focused on her math course, she makes sure she regularly does conditioning. She earned her karate black belt in 2015. She hopes to balance her time between studies and karate training. She’s excited at the prospect of joining the national games and to take it one step at a time.”

Karate is one of five sports to be included in the calendar of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The others are baseball/softball, skateboard, sports climbing and surfing. The five sports will mean 18 incremental gold medals at stake and an addition of 474 athletes. IOC president Thomas Bach said the new sports are an indication of the Olympic movement’s innovativeness, flexibility and emphasis on youth development. 

Friends and fans are urged to continue to pray for the Skywalker that this year, he’ll be able to see and talk with God’s grace and mercy.