Evening star., 1963-02-01
SEGH AT LARGE
Story of Stokes
And True Friend
By MORRIS SIEGEL

ON THE NIGHT OF March 49, 195s the Cincinnati
Royals were winding up their long NBA season against
the Lakers who then called Minneapolis home Midway of
the last quarter Maurice Stokes the Royals star was
bumped in rebounding traffic jam under the boards and
fell heavily on the floor. He landed head first.
Stokes knocked out and removed from the game
Later. when he said he feeling all right again. he
returned to the lineup and finished the game He
appeared normal and dismissed the incident He had been
oored many times before but had suffered serious
injury.
Stokes was rugged 24Opounder built in the classic
mold of todayS pro basketball star He stretched feet
inches Skyward made several ALI Americas at ST. Francis
College voted rookie of the year his NBA debut and
made AlLeague his sophomore He the Elgn
Baylor of his time.
TWO NIGHTS LATER, Stokes and the Royals were
flying home from Detroit where the Royals had played in
the first round of the NBA playos Stokes played most
OF the game and escaped without injury When the plane
was 80 minutes out of Detroit the big PttSburgher
lapSed. He unconscious
The pilot radioed ahead for an ambulance to meet
the plane at the Cincinnati airport Stokes still
scous taken to Christ Hospital Today almost five
years later, he still is bedridden patient at Christ
Hospital.
His illness has been diagnosed as "traumatic en-
cephalopahy the rarest form of encephaitis nfam
nation of the BRAIN Doctors trying to rebuild the
motor section of his brain which burned out as the
result of the head SPILL His nervous system suffered
q When he arrived at the hospital dreadful night
Stokes temperature fierce doctors packed his whole
body in ice to keep him from burning to death He
manned this way for three months
JACK TwYMAN WAS Stokes friend then and is an
even closer friend today. Twyman, veteran star of the
Royals is Stokes legal guardian He has conducted many
benefits for Maurice and still does.
x Looking back" Twyman said there yesterday after
npon waiting the Royals scrimmage against the Boston
"Uat nnaV The we
could have gotten a doctor right away.
But we were in the air at point of return Had
we back to Detroit ride of about 80 minutes we
didn't know doctor there where to call for hospital
1tion. We didn't realize the seriousness of Maurys con-
dEon, decided go on TO Cincinnati and have an
ambulance meet there.
For few moments we thought we had a corpse on
our hands. Maury sweating through his clothes 1t
looked ominous"
:, STOKES, WHO CAN'T feed himself without serious
labor, requires around -the-cock nursing He has his
peaks and valleys said Twyman who visits Stokes daily
wnen he is in Cincinnati.
= "For while his recovery seemed marvellous. Then a
recession set in It's long haul doctors won't predict
how long 1t will take. They don't know too much about
hts Illness I'm sure they even made up the name They
had never been confronted with like his before"
Stokes recovery will be long and torturous process
Tpere are signs he is making progress He do
20 pushups" Twyman said Last year he completely
nmobe To show you the strength Of this man. he does
1t painful but proves Stokes fierce determination to
lick this thing
I'VE got him electric typewriter He writes his own
thank you notes 10 those who berended him. He couldn't
move his hands last year"
Stokes disqualification and special medical care have
cost the Ohio Workmens Compensation Commission in the
neghborhood Of 100000 Twyman the volunteer chair
man OF group which has raised money to help provide
ptvae funds for Stokes. Through benefit basketball
games and other means, the Maurice Stokes Fund has
collected $l25OOO since the drive started. Twyman
always, has been the volunteer spearhead.
TWYMAN MARvELS AT his friends morale. He has
never had bad day." Twyman said THE greatest lesson
I've learned from Mauy that OF can afford the
luxury of becoming depressed feeling sorry for our
selves"
For his unsefish, continuing dedication behalf OF
Stokes Twyman has been cited by national organ
zatons Several years ago he honored at Washing
toms annual Interfah Day celebration the sports
figure who had done the most in nterfaith work
In lauding Twyman and his group, the speaker here
said Here is Of a Protestant heading drive
administered by a Jew in behalf Of a Negro Catholic
interfaith in It's most shining light"
II Is quite a parlay.