By Steve Carter/News Editor
TIFTON — Between laughter, tears and smiles, a special dinner/auction to benefit Chance Veazey was held Monday night at the University of Georgia Campus Conference Center in Tifton. Veazey is the University of Georgia freshman who was severely injured in a motor vehicle accident in late October in Athens. The accident has left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Designed to raise money for Veazey's medical expenses, the night got off to a rousing start. As the audience settled in after looking at items up for bid in the silent auction, it was announced country music singer Trisha Yearwood had promised to match all of the money raised during the evening up to $100,000. As of Tuesday, event organizers were not sure how much money was raised, but the total exceeded $100,000, so with Yearwood's contribution the evening generated over $200,000 for Veazey.
The Yearwood announcement was the first of several surprises on the night.
The evening's first speaker was Mike Dillon, the University of Georgia baseball team's athletic trainer.
"I am here — at the insistence of Chance — to update you on his condition," said Dillon.
Before going into Veazey's current condition, Dillon spoke of how the Tifton native and his family have already become a part of his and the baseball team's family.
"I first recognized Chance was a quiet, hard-working young man, that did all of the right things," said Dillon. "During fall practice, he injured his shoulder diving after a ball, and we became close as he underwent treatment."
That continued as Dillon recounted the night of Oct. 28, the date on which Veazey was injured.
Speaking of how he knew all of the emergency medical personnel in the Athens area, as well as the doctors, Dillon said, "When I got there, Chance was still backboarded. He knew what he had. The first thing he said to me was, “I can't feel my legs. I am paralyzed.
"After seeing the CAT scan I knew we were in trouble."
Dillon showed a diagram and then explained Veazey's T10 disc had "slipped out", and the T11 was "crushed."
The UGA trainer explained someone had once said the spinal cord, "was not a cord, but it was instead like a peeled, ripe banana. The problem is you can't sew it back."
In the first days after the accident, Dillon said Veazey received a special visitor.
"When (University of Georgia head football) coach (Mark) Richt came by, it was the first time, Chance had smiled since the accident," said Dillon.
Surgery was done on Veazey, and Dillon explained two rods were bolted on to the spinal cord, and a piece of Veazey's hip bone was also used to help stabilize the area.
To help heal the back after the surgery, Veazey has to wear a back brace.
Soon after the surgery, Veazey was sitting up in bed and putting the brace on.
"That takes a lot of energy and work, considering you cannot feel your legs," said Dillon. "The will and toughness of that young man is amazing. He is a stud."
Knowing he would have to work on rehabilitation, Dillon and the university contacted Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta.
"We called them at 5 a.m. Thursday (after the Wednesday night accident), and said we were coming," said Dillon.
After leaving St. Mary's Hospital in Athens, Veazey was transported to Shepherd in Atlanta. Dillon said they were greeted personally by the center's founders, James Shepherd, as well as his mother.
Dillon then went over Veazey's daily routine at Shepherd.
"It's amazing how far ahead he is in his rehab," said Dillon. "He can do anything with his upper body, but he can't just do anything with his legs. He is so far ahead of where he should be, it's incredible."
While the prognosis is Veazey will never walk again, Dillon explained, "We are realists, but we are praying for a miracle. You never know what may happen with research in the coming years. Just keep praying for Chance and his family."
He added, "Chance is fine with it. He will do great things with his life, no matter what happens."
Dillon introduced his "boss," Georgia head baseball coach David Perno.
"I am humbled and honored to be here," said Perno. "I am just devastated that it is in this situation."
Perno confirmed that even though he would have entered the season as a freshman, Veazey had earned the starting job at second base for the Bulldogs during the upcoming 2010 season.
"He started slow in fall ball," said Perno. "We talked, and he said, 'I've got this coach.' and he did. He began to improve and he earned that spot."
The Georgia coach said in the Bulldogs' last scrimmage of the fall, "Chance had three hits, including a home run in his last at-bat. You could tell the joy in his face as he rounded the bases after that home run."
Perno then reflected on the night of Veazey's accident.
"Chance knew exactly what was his situation was," said Perno. "I sat with him for 20 or 30 minutes, but I couldn't take it anymore."
Mentioning how unemotional he normally was, Perno added, "I could not address the team. I cried for five or six days afterwards."
The Georgia coach talked of the impact Veazey had made on the team.
"We want our players to do the right stuff, the right way and for the right reasons, and Chance did all three," said Perno.
"He has changed me a person, and I guarantee that he will always be a part of our program."
Perno then announced Georgia would fulfill Veazey's scholarship for six years, which garnered a huge ovation from the crowd.
"Chance will have a huge part and impact on the Georgia baseball program," said Perno. "He will be there to help me coach, call plays or do work in the radio booth.
He is the most beloved person in our dugout, and that's amazing, even though he has not been with us, but for two to two-and-a-half months."
To see that Veazey would be able to do work in radio, if he wanted, Perno said he had to UGA Athletic Director Damon Evans about putting an elevator at Georgia's Foley Field.
"We will see that gets done," said Perno.
