RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Chad Ching hugged his father, Billy, while Lynn, Ching's mother, got a hug from UH volleyball player Ryan Woodward at the Queen's Medical Center Same Day Surgery Center yesterday.
Ching stable
after accidentHis parents believe the power
of prayer aided his recovery
The parents of former Hawaii volleyball player Tony Ching expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of support and prayer for Ching after he suffered a mo-ped accident on Friday.
After a long night at the hospital, Lynn and Billy Ching said yesterday they were grateful for the hundreds of phone calls and messages they received from well-wishers.
"I just wanted to thank the public of Hawaii for their prayers," said Lynn Ching, her voice filled with emotion. "And I really believe in the power of prayer because when he came in last night, he didn't look so good. But today he looks good."
Ching was in stable condition yesterday in the critical care unit of the Queen's Medical Center. Ching was riding without a helmet when he was struck by a car after moving through an intersection on a green light near Wilder Avenue and Alexander Street in Makiki.
"Initially there was some loss of consciousness, but he did wake up and he was moving around at the scene," said Dr. Deborah Greene, a neurointensivist at Queens. "When he first came into the emergency room, he was awake and understanding. Shortly after he came to the hospital, he became more drowsy and what we found is that he had blood over his brain, on both sides above the frontal part of his brain."
Neither of Ching's doctors, neurosurgeon Dr. Calvin Kam and orthopedist Dr. Patrick Murray, were available for comment yesterday.
Ching underwent several hours of surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain and to close open fractures of the tibia in both legs. A chest tube was inserted to treat his partially collapsed left lung.
"On examination this morning, he's improved, awake, alert, fully oriented and fully understands what's going on," Greene said. "He's doing well neurologically."
When Ching awoke yesterday, he was alert enough to ask about the 6-week-old black Akita-Labrador mix puppy he was carrying at the time of the accident. The puppy has not been seen since the accident and the family is asking for help in finding him.
"I'm grateful for Tony Ching. I'm grateful for the alertness that he has," Warriors coach Mike Wilton said. "He's been banged up, but he's a tough guy. He just seems to get better every time I see him."
Added teammate Ryan Woodward: "He looks good, he looks strong. He squeezed my hand and stuff and seemed like regular Tony Ching."
Doctors could not specify how long Ching would remain in the critical care unit or the length of his recovery time. But the All-American's excellent physical condition would aid in his recovery.
"Usually younger patients who are healthy and do not have underlying disease will do better than somebody who is older and has other diseases," said Dr. Haochin Ho, Ching's attending physician. "The fitter you are, the better your body can handle the stress from having surgery or trauma."
Doctors could not say whether Ching would play volleyball again, but his father gave an answer.
"In response to if he's going to play volleyball again, we have a date for the 2008 Olympics and I plan to be there with him," said Billy Ching, who also spoke of his appreciation of the Queen's staff for taking "perfect" care of his son.
This is Ching's second mo-ped accident in a little more than two years. In March 2001, he missed several matches after hitting a guard rail on the Manoa campus.
Ching showed resiliency during his playing career. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter bounced back from various injuries to win a starting role on the team. He turned 22 this month and completed his volleyball eligibility in the spring.
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