September 07, (THEWILL) – After 39 years in coma, Jean-Pierre Adams, a former defender for France, has died aged 73. The centre-back who was also in the squad for the French club Nimes Olympique and played for Nice and Paris Saint-Germain also had 22 caps for France.
He had unfortunately remained in a vegetative state since the year 1982 due to a lack of attention to details while he underwent a routine, non-lethal surgery on his knee.
On the morning of his operation, Adams is said to have told Bernadette, his wife: “It’s all fine, I’m in great shape.”
It turned out differently because a cushion used to prop Adams up during the operation slipped in the process, causing a problem with the defender’s supply of anaesthetic. However, this escaped the attention of the medical staff partaking in the surgery.
As the lack of oxygen stretched to dangerous levels without anyone noticing anything was amiss, Adams heart could no longer function properly and he suffocated while suffering a cardiac arrest in the process.
Bernadette Adams, the wife of the footballer later revealed that an excuse admitted by the medical staff was that one of the signs to indicate the lack of oxygen, which is a discoloration of the skin, did not show in Adams case and so the anaesthetist failed to spot the oxygen supply problems “because of his skin colour” of the player.
The Senegal-born footballer spent the next year of his life in a coma in hospital, being monitored by medical personnel who checked his vitals and attended to his needs. But, by the following year, 1983, after 15 months, he was taken home to be cared for by his wife.
At home, although Adams was able to open his eyes and digest food, the brain damage he has suffered meant that he was unable to move or talk.
In an interview last year, Bernadette described what it was like saying she was being told that he was worsening: “He senses that it is not me feeding him and looking after him. It’s the nurses who tell me, saying he is not the same. I think he feels things. He must recognize the sound of my voice as well.’
When the news broke that Adams had died, his former club PSG expressed their condolences in a statement that said Adams’ “joie de vivre, charisma and experience commanded respect”.
Adams also made 145 appearances for Nice prior to his move to the capital, having played 84 matches for his first club Nimes.
Nice intend to pay tribute to the former defender at their home match against Monaco on September 19 while Nimes Olympique said they offered “most sincere condolences to his loved ones and to his family”.
Their tweet, through the official Nimes account was in French and translated to: “We learned this morning of the death of Jean-Pierre Adams. He had worn the colours of Nîmes Olympique 84 times and together with Marius Trésor formed “the black guard” in the French team.
“The Club offers its most sincere condolences to its loved ones and to its family.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
