A Labour of Love

[BEARGER 1,829]

A Labour of Love

by Vince Cooper | Jul 19, 2017 |

 

The heartbreaking and inspirational story of Jean-Pierre and Bernadette Adams

In March 1982, French international footballer Jean-Pierre Adams walked into a Lyon hospital. He was due to have surgery on a troublesome right knee. The tough-tackling central defender had completed a playing career that had seen him capped 22 times for his country and was preparing to move into coaching.

Adams had been born in Dakar, Senegal and was brought to France by his grandmother when he was 10 years old. He was enrolled in a local catholic school and adopted by a local couple in Montargis.

After playing for various youth teams (mostly as a striker) he joined RC Fontainebleau in 1967, switched to central defence and won the French Amateur championship twice. In 1970 he turned pro with Nimes Olympique and, whilst with the club, he made his first international appearance, in 1972 against the Soviet Union. As a mark of the esteem he was held in as a player, Argentina national captain Angel Marcos, then of Nantes, said; “I always dreaded the two annual confrontations with him.”

Adams spent the next nine years playing top-flight football moving on to OGC Nice, where he was part of the team that knocked Barcelona out of the UEFA Cup and came close to title success, and then to Paris Saint Germain where injuries began to take their toll on a player whose approach on the pitch was always full-blooded.

On a national team level, the partnership between Adams and Tresor was formidable (they became known as ‘La garde noir’, The `Black Guard’) leading none other than Franz Beckenbauer to claim they were ‘one of the best central defensive partnerships in all of Europe.’ International teammate Henri Michel, who played in his international debut said of him; “He was a force of nature, very strong physically and he had great determination and willingness.” His ascent to the national team was said to have been the forerunner to the success of players such as Marcel Desailly and Patrick Vieira who also had their roots in West Africa.

His very nature and style of play left Adams prone to injury and in the late 70s these began to take their toll. He dropped down to the second division with Mulhouse in 1979 and eventually hung up his boots in 1981.

The knee operation, which was routine, was to fix ligament problems which had troubled him for much of the later stages of his career and had recently worsened. There was a strike in French hospitals at the time and the anaesthetist was extremely busy, dealing with eight different patients. The obvious course of action would have been to delay the operation. But Adams and his wife Bernadette were never given that option.

Left in the care of a trainee, who later admitted in court ‘I was not up to the task I was entrusted with’ a tube was left blocking the pathway to his lungs instead of ventilating them, therefore starving him of oxygen. Adams suffered catastrophic brain damage and had a massive cardiac arrest.

Wife Bernadette was at home and unaware of the tragedy that was unfolding. She called the hospital to see how things were progressing and finally got through on the third attempt. She was passed on to a Doctor who simply said; “Come here now.” She rushed to the hospital, and was to remain there for five days, saying later. ‘I thought he was going to wake up and needed to be there.”

Adams was in the hospital for 15 months. Then the recommendation was made that he be moved to a home for the elderly. “I didn’t think they would know how to look after him,” recalls his devoted wife who has no medical training. “So I said to myself ‘he will come home’ and I’ve looked after him ever since.”

Now, 35 years later, he is unable to walk, talk or move any of his limbs and is in a ‘permanent vegetative state’ and Bernadette still cares for him every day.

The now 69-year-old spends most of his days in his own room, in a specially modified bed. He can breathe on his own, digest food, and open and close his eyes. And Bernadette and the family try to bring some normality into his life.

‘No one ever forgets to give Jean-Pierre presents, whether it’s his birthday, Christmas or Fathers Day,” Bernadette told CNN in a rare interview last year. “I’ll buy things so that he can have a nice room, such as pretty sheets, or some scent. He used to wear Paco Rabanne but his favourite one stopped so now I buy Sauvage by Dior.”

Bernadette is his full-time carer. She dresses, feeds and bathes him and claims that he knows when it isn’t her taking care of him. “He senses that it is not me feeding him and looking after him,” she says. “The nurses tell me he is not the same.

“I think he feels things. He must recognise the sound of my voice.”

Jean-Pierre was a larger-than-life character, who loved music, cigars and good clothes. “A smile was always bursting out,” Bernadette remembers. “He loved the good life and was loved by everybody as well.”

Now, every day, from 7am until 8pm when he might fall asleep, Bernadette cares for her husband in every way including cleaning, preparing food, feeding and ensuring (with specialist help) that his lungs are clean.

Sometimes it isn’t 8pm; there are times when Bernadette is awake caring for him all night.

The French league, French federation and the Variety Club of France have all helped with the financial difficulties that have come with the need to care for her husband full-time, and modify their home for his needs. And Bernadette still clings to the faint hope that one day things might change.

“His condition does not get any worse, so who knows?” She says. “If one day medical science evolves, then why not? Will there be a day when they’ll know what to do with him? I don’t know.”

With their two sons now fully grown and parents themselves Bernadette has much to occupy her. But her main role, as it has been for three and a half decades is to care for the man she loves.

In the mid 1990s a French court finally got around to ruling on the issue of mistreatment. The anaesthetist and trainee were found guilty on the charges brought against them. Both were fined a minimal amount and given one-month suspended prison sentences.

After 35 years, Bernadette Adams continues every day to prove her dedication to her husband. “I have the feeling that time stopped on 17 March 1982.” She said.

The awful tragedy that struck Jean-Pierre Adams has condemned his wife to her own life sentence one few of us could imagine. That she continues to serve that sentence willingly is poignant testimony to her devotion to her stricken husband.

[craig 5,199]

That is awful what he suffered, but incredible testament to his wife and her loyalty and marriage oath.

 

Not to compare but it reminds me a little of my Mum's situation, but not to the same extent. My brother got German measles when he was 6 months old and they gave him a lumber puncture. There is a belief that that lumber puncture was mishandled - my brother ended up mentally handicapped and currently has a mental age of probably 8 or 9 (he is 36, and we were told he wouldn't make his 21st birthday). Great kid, nothing but love, other than when I tease or torment him to try to get him to swear at me, lol. My Mum has to help him dress, has to shave him, has to clean him after a "number 2", you cant trust him to walk anywhere near traffic as he would simply walk out in front of cars without a regard for whether there was any traffic or not.

 

But he is a great kid and I wouldn't swap him for the world. He has had the pleasure of meeting Ian and Frankie - Ian had a 30 minute conversation one evening at the Louden, clearly they were on the same wave length mentally and he thoroughly enjoed his time with them - he even still asks me if he can go have a shandy with them.

 

My Dad has been passed for 20 years this December so my Mum has had to handle, physically, mentally and emotionally, my brother for 20 years alone (he is twice her size so it can be a struggle) and for 36 years including when my Dad was here, though my Mum still took the majority of the responsibility.

 

I am sure there will be people worse off than even Jean-Pierre Adams - but his wife's devotion is inspiring to me.

[JFK-1 1,675]

All credit to your mother. I had a cousin who was born with downs syndrome and again her parents were told she probably wouldn't see 21 but she lived into her 40's with an elderly mother who herself departed within months of her daughters death. She appeared to just let go after that as if looking after her beloved daughter was her entire reason for still living.