Rene Douglas

[ejt2112]

If you're inclined to pray, say a few for Rene Douglas.
An absolutely horrific spill yesterday.

As you can imagine lots of wild stories floating around.
Lets just hope he's able to walk away from this.

[njcurveball]

Here is the latest from DRF.com

Douglas undergoes spinal surgery after spill
By Marcus Hersh
CHICAGO - The jockey Rene Douglas was undergoing marathon surgery Sunday morning to try to repair two compressed vertebrae in his back. Douglas was injured Saturday in an ugly one-horse spill in the Arlington Matron Handicap when his mount, Born to Be, fell and rolled onto the rider.

Surgery began at 2:30 Sunday morning and was expected to be completed around noon, according to Douglas's agent, Dennis Cooper.

"His regular doctor talked to me about 6 and said he still had six hours left," Cooper said.

Douglas, 42, is at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, where he was moved after initially being taken to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. Cooper said that even after the surgery was complete, Douglas's prognosis would remain uncertain for 10 to 14 days, according to doctors. Besides the compressed vertebrae, Douglas has "issues in his neck" as well as lesser injuries like broken ribs, Cooper said.

Douglas originally had been scheduled for surgery at 11 Saturday night, but the procedure was delayed while further tests were performed. Douglas was placed in an induced coma earlier on Saturday night but was awakened to see his wife before going into surgery, Cooper said.

Douglas was conscious and able to speak before first being sedated, Cooper said Arlington vice president Bill Thayer had told him. Douglas was able to move his arms but apparently had experienced some degree of paralysis after the fall. Cooper said earlier in the night that Douglas could feel his feet and was able to feel pain in his back and arm.

In the Matron, Douglas wound up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Born to Be raced just in behind the lead pack and appeared to be running evenly when she turned into the stretch. Born to Be was about two paths off the rail when jockey Jamie Theriot on rail-skimming Sky Mom tried to go through a hole between Born to Be and eventual winner Euphony. Sky Mom bumped Born to Be, who was pushed out and clipped heels with tiring pace-setter Boudoir. Born to Be completely lost her footing, fell, and flipped over, rolling onto Douglas, who remained pinned beneath the horse until being extricated by track personnel.

Born to Be also might have hurt her back, trainer Eric Coatrieux said Saturday evening, and her condition was uncertain. Coatrieux said the horse had tried to stand up and had to be sedated in the horse ambulance, but once at Arlington's detention barn, the filly appeared unable to stand.

[EE26]

what I heard this morning is he is very unlikely to be able to walk again

[SPIKE]

BloodHorse.com Breaking News

Jockey Rene Douglas came out of a seven-hour surgery at Northwestern Hospital on May 24 without feeling in his lower extremities, and doctors there said the 42-year-old rider may not walk again, agent Dennis Cooper reported on May 24.

For more information go to http://www.bloodhorse.com/article/50929.htm


JUST HEARTBREAKING. RENE AND HIS FAMILY ARE IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYS. GOD BLESS

[DanG]

Absolutely in our thoughts and prayers.

Impossible to get used to the danger associated with our sport and no wonder more then one wife (family member) can’t even watch their loved ones live.

[OPM]

Kind of weird that he had feeling and movement and then lost it, must have been a serious compression with damage to the nerve that may never recover. However, a lot of times these nerves are stunted instead of irreversilbly damaged, let's hope this is the case.

Well, what would be a post from me without a chance to vent. If stem cell research was allowed to progress, I think we would have effective treatment for paralysis by now but these zealots like to see people in pain.

[Bob]

Rene, you are in my thoughts and prayers!

What incredible and fearless athletes jockeys are and even if I were in the best of shape, I don't think I would have the internal fortitude to do what they do once... much less up to 9-10 times a day.

OPM, right on!

Regards,
Bob
G

[OPM]

Yeah, I still remember Mike Venezia getting killed in NY and J. C . Gonzales at FPX.
Hard games, hard life.

I know everyone is really high on Calvin but he looks malnourished to me.

[del_dog]

It's a real shame that a GREAT several days of racing at Arlington came along with this horrible spill.

Prayers and best for all involved, including Theriot.

[Paladin]

News at 12 noon PST, Tue 5/26/2009

Thoughts and Prayers to Rene'

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522017,00.html

[OPM]

Just read the updated report and it seems he has muscle tone in his legs although he does not yet have sensation. The is a great news and I have a strong feeling he will have use of his legs again. The next couple of days are very critical.