Volleyball champion Tang Miao, tragically paralyzed in a June
training session in Russia and initially believed to be left a
quadriplegic, is off the critical list.
In further good news, specialists report that his paralysis may
not be as severe as first thought as he has regained some movement
in his fingers.
Tang, however, is still connected to a breathing machine, said
the specialists from the intensive care unit of Shanghai's
Changzheng Hospital.
They are unsure of the level of his recovery in the long
term.
Because Tang, 25, is a towering 2.04 meters tall, the hospital
has to order a specially designed rehabilitation bed for him to
undergo the physical treatment necessary to prevent atrophy, or
muscle wasting.
His wife, Zhou Suhong, captain of the Chinese women's national
volleyball team, expressed confidence in Tang's recovery in her
blog on Thursday and thanked the city government and the
hospital.
Tang broke his neck after crashing into a barrier while training
for a friendly match in St Petersburg with his Shanghai-based club
team on June 15.
It was reported that he lost his balance while jumping and
landed on his head on the floor, knocking him unconscious and
causing serious spinal damage.
He was taken to a St Petersburg hospital where he underwent
emergency surgery.
He was flown back to Shanghai on June 19 by a team of four
doctors and two nurses from Changzheng Hospital.
A Changzheng official said Tang suffered an infection in Russia
and was running a temperature when he arrived back home.
Tang was named in the Chinese national team in 2002 and became a
first-line player a year later.
He represented China in the 2004 Olympic qualification
tournaments, the world championships and the World League.
He was also a key player for the Shanghai team which has been
national champion for four consecutive years.
(Shanghai Daily July 7, 2007)