Injured softball player

[TROYgirl128]

Trojan softball player Tara Blackwell broke her neck yesterday in Nashville. The team had a day off between games at Lipscomb and Belmont. From what I understand, she was doing a backflip and didn't make it all the way around. She is in the hospital at Vanderbilt; the doctors are waiting for the swelling to go down to determine whether or not her paralysis is temporary.

Pray for her and for her family and her teammates and coaches.

[TUEngineer]

WOW! That's horrible! :(

[RedEdgeTrojan]

I just posted about Al Lucas and then I see this. Just horrible!! Just an awful past few days for all that love Troy.
I, too, hope and pray that she gets well.

[TROYgirl128]

The team got to see Tara before they left Nashville last night. She had surgery yesterday. She can move both of her arms and has feeling as far down as her thighs. They're still waiting on the swelling to go down to determine the long term effects.

Keep her in your prayers.

[faithintsu]

Geez - hopefully she regains all feeling very soon.

[Trojanman]

Hurry and get better Tara! You will truly be missed and my prayers are for your complete and total recovery. :D

[FRED_of_TROY]

Does anyone have any new updates on Tara?

[tntrojan]

I have not seen anything on this on the official site. Can someone tell us if she is still in the hosital?

[Hector]

Can someone tell us if she is still in the hosital?

My goodness, with an injury such as what she sustained, she'd have to be. God bless her in her recovery.

[RedEdgeTrojan]

From the Dothan Eagle written by Drew Champlin


http://www.dothaneagle.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DEA%2FMGArticle%2FDEA_BasicArti cle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031782094918&path=!sports

[BMarkey]

There was no mention of the nature of the injury, or its cause.

[troylightning]

http://www.troymessenger.com/articles/2005/04/12/sports/sports01.txt

[troy_university_majorette]

I heard that she has feeling on the inside of her knee. She is slowly getting better.

[BMarkey]

Here are some pictures of Tara (No. 7) - in good spirits, scopring the game-winning run against Stetson - in the 2004 Atlantic Sun softball tournament in Boca Raton.

I hope she makes a full recovery.

http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/Troy_v_Stetson_1_05_13_04/e39b0642_std.jpg

http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/Troy_v_Stetson_3_05_13_04/e39b0760_std.jpg

http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/Troy_v_Stetson_3_05_13_04/e39b0761_std.jpg

http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/Troy_v_Stetson_3_05_13_04/e39b0774_std.jpg

http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/Troy_v_Stetson_3_05_13_04/e39b0783_std.jpg

http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/Troy_v_Stetson_3_05_13_04/e39b0784_std.jpg

http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/Troy_v_Stetson_3_05_13_04/e39b0786_std.jpg

http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/Troy_v_Stetson_3_05_13_04/e39b0788_std.jpg

This might be her as well:
http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/Troy_v_Stetson_1_05_13_04/e39b0626_std.jpg

The rest of the softball pictures are at:

http://www.palmswestpress.com/images/Troy_v_Stetson_1_05_13_04/index.htm

[Lord-Mustang]

I spoke to Sohail this afternoon at Bill Gausphols "Going Away" reception, and he confirmed, that as of 11:30ish...she did have feeling to the knees. Only time will tell if progress continues.

[tsufl]

She played HS ball at a local HS here in the panhandle and there was a mention of this on the local news this evening. No mention of any developments though just that she had feeling in her upper legs.
Hopethings get better for her soon!

[TroyTrojanMan]

Troy University softball player Tara Blackwell is in fair condition in the intensive care unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after suffering what the school called "a severe injury" last Saturday during a practice session at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

Blackwell, a sophomore from Pensacola, Fla., plays second base for Troy.

According to Jerry Pollard, the athletic director at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola where Blackwell graduated, Blackwell suffered a broken neck. He did not know the full extent of the injury, but said that the spinal cord was not severed.

In a prepared statement, Troy athletic director Steve Dennis said Blackwell is expected to be moved to another facility this week and the school's thoughts and prayers go out to Tara and her parents.

Neither Dennis nor Troy softball coach Melanie Davis returned phone messages from the Montgomery Advertiser Tuesday afternoon. Sports information director Ricky Hazel said the school could not elaborate on Blackwell's injury because of privacy laws.

The injury occurred on an off day between Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheaders against Belmont University and Lipscomb University.

Blackwell started 42 of 43 games for the Trojans and was hitting .311.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/NEWSV5/storyV5blackwell13o.htm

[TroyTrojanMan]

By Tom Ensey
Montgomery Advertiser

Injured Troy University softball player Tara Blackwell is waiting to be moved from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta later this week.

Blackwell was paralyzed from the waist down after suffering a broken neck in an accident during a team practice last Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.

The Shepherd Center is a catastrophic care hospital for the treatment of people with spinal cord injuries. Blackwell was with her team practicing on an off day between conference games when she was hurt.

Neither her parents nor school officials would comment on exactly how the injury occurred. The sophomore second baseman was rushed from the site of the injury at Belmont University to Vanderbilt where she underwent a lengthy surgery Saturday.

She is currently listed in fair condition.

"She's hanging in there," Tara's father, Terry Blackwell, said Wednesday afternoon. "She looks a little bit better, but it's going to be a long, hard road.

"The C-5 and C-6 vertebrae were dislocated or whatever, but her neck was definitely broken at the C-1 level."

Tara's mother, Patsy Blackwell, said Tara will be transported to the Shepherd Center today or Friday, if all goes as planned and depending on her condition. She was unable to speculate on her daughter's prognosis.

"They've told us to take it day-by-day and that's what we're doing," she said. "It's going to be a long process. She was very severely injured."

Tara is breathing on her own after being placed on a respirator immediately following the surgery, according to her parents. She is conscious and aware of her surroundings when she's not sedated, said her mother.

"Because of the terrible pain in her back, they keep her sedated most of the time," Patsy Blackwell said. "She has good motion in her upper body."

Troy's office of sports information issued a statement Tuesday saying that Blackwell suffered a "severe injury" during a practice session in Nashville. The university cited privacy laws in refusing further comment.

Troy softball coach Melanie Davis has not returned several messages left for her by the Montgomery Advertiser on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Blackwell started 42 of 43 games before her injury.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/NEWSV5/storyV5blackwell14o.htm

[Hector]

From this morning's Montgomery paper.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/NEWSV5/storyV5troysoft15o.htm

[FRED_of_TROY]

Any new updates? We're just concerned.

[faithintsu]

Is there any update on Tara? Has she been moved to ATL already? Does she have full feeling in her whole body now?

[TROYgirl128]

I have been told that she has been moved to Atlanta and is still having problems with her legs. I was told that she cannot move her legs; I'm not sure about the actual FEELING in her legs.

I hear that she is in good spirits, which is always a plus.

Continue to pray for her and all of those involved (family, doctors, teammates, coaches, etc)

[faithintsu]

I should have said what can she move, sorry about that.

So is it from waist down? Or do we know?

[TROYgirl128]

She can move her arms. She cannot move her legs. I guess we're still waiting. I've heard differing things about the feeling in her legs. I've heard that she has feeling to her knees, and I've heard that she has no feeling in her legs. I do know that she cannot MOVE her legs.

[Big D]

I've been supporting Troy softball for years, and this is a very sad and unfortunate situation. I talked to Jenny Boyd briefly last Saturday following the doubleheader sweep over Gardner-Webb, and she told me to keep Tara in my thoughts and prayers - and I certainly will. The Lady Trojans haven't lost since her injury, but they have two tough A-Sun twinbills this weekend at FAU and UCF that will determine their seeding for the conference tournament. I like softball's chances of getting an NCAA bid this year, and baseball will more than likely get one themselves with their win total because the A-Sun usually sends at least two baseball teams to the NCAA regions. Good luck and GOOOOOOOOOOOOO TROJANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big D