Dan: It’s a sport known for its rucks, scrums and tackles but rugby has led to far too many
serious injuries. In New Zealand we’ve tightened up the rules and players are aware of the
risks but in Samoa it’s still a rough tough sport. I got to spend time with Ben Lei’a,
a player who dreamed of making it into the big league but instead he’s one of several
young guys who have been injured in rugby in Samoa this year alone.
V/O: It doesn’t matter where you are in the world; rugby is a tough game, that’s
the way it is. But from what I hear here in Samoa it’s even tougher than usual. The
mentality is the harder you hit the harder they fall. The sport of rugby suits the strong
physique of the Samoan men – being tough on the rugby field brings huge mana, it also
translates to money if you manage to score a contract with an overseas team like the
All Blacks.
Dan: How important is rugby in Samoa?
Ben: Rugby’s good for Samoa.
Dan: It’s a future for a lot of...
Ben: Yeah a lot of players.
Dan: Was that your dream?
Ben: Yep.
Dan: To play for Samoa?
Ben: Yeah play for Samoa.
V/O: Ben Lei’a is the sober face of that tough rugby culture. Just a year ago he was
one of the most promising young players of Samoa.
Dan: In January this year Ben Lei’a broke his neck playing rugby. At 20 years old he
was part of the Samoan Youth Squad and at 5’7” he was just the little junior of
the team, eight months later he’s still here, he’s still in hospital.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: Samoan rugby is the harder you hit and the more pain that you inflict
on the other person if you win over the opposition that’s an excellent tackle but if you just
tackle with the ball and all that but if your opposition player is not winded or hurting
all that it’s not a very good tackle.
Andrew: Samoa is well known for big kids so it’s a good thing for us too just to make
the other teams scared when we play against other teams. Samoa is all about the culture
and it’s the number one sport here in Samoa so all the boys are keen to play rugby here.
V/O: This is Ben Lei’a’s old footy team, from the time he was a kid Ben hung around
the big guys, he had dreams of playing for Samoa and most importantly he saw it as a
way to bring in money for his family. He played hard and trained hard.
Andrew: I see Ben running around and when training’s not on he always tried something
else like run on the road or do extra trainings and then it was sad on that day when Ben got
smashed on that day. Ben has really good skills and knowledge and when he comes to training
he trains really hard and I can tell he’s trying his best to be a really good rugby
player.
V/O: They still talk as if Ben is going to play again even though Ben’s been paralysed
for the last eight months.
Coach: It’s really sad to see him lying in bed like that but I think he’s going
to be another Samoan player in the future if he’s on the field but he’s a good player,
he’s got a good heart.
V/O: Right now he’s in the island’s main hospital in Apia, he’s adjusting to life
as a high level tetraplegic. He can’t walk, he has no function in his upper body, he can’t
feed himself.
Dan: You know for me when I broke my neck playing rugby I was out after 3 ? months and
I was living independently and driving and all these things and I’ve come here to Samoa
to meet Ben but also to find out what it’s like for somebody who has an injury like this
and what it’s like to be in a wheelchair in Samoa.
V/O: Samoa is our Pacific neighbour, each year the New Zealand government gives $15
million in aide to the Pacific nation, a large chunk of that goes to medical aide. With such
a small population (just 183,000) there’s limited facilities and no specialist spinal
unit. I spoke to Ben and his doctors before we got here, it was clear the medical treatment
of spinal patients in Samoa is very different to New Zealand partly because of those limited
facilities. Dr Anosis says there’s fundamental ignorance about what it is to have a spinal
injury – people don’t realise the damage can be permanent and they certainly have no
idea of what’s involved in daily life.
V/O: Ben’s rehabilitation is hampered by what’s on offer here, there isn’t even
a physiotherapist on the island to ensure he can maximise his very limited function.
Wheeling down the corridor guess what I hear? Rugby on the radio. Ben has been home in the
months since his accident but his Uncle has brought him back for the treatment of bedsores.
Someone with Ben’s level of injury who can’t move at all needs to be constantly turned
every two hours – if not pressure sores can develop. These bed sores can become infected
and life threatening. The hospital is understaffed so family and nurses need to work together.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: It is very important to try and incorporate them, the family members or
the caregivers to help out with nursing cares because there is a shortage. This is the main
surgical ward and we would have at least 30 to 40 or sometimes 50 patients and only have
two or three nurses on duty so you can imagine – I mean nurses can’t afford to keep
turning Ben every two hours.
Dan: Any idea when you’ll get to get out of hospital?
Ben: It depends on my bedsore, if it’s good then can go home.
V/O: Much of the equipment surrounding Ben – his sheets, bandages and even his hospital
bed are donations flown over from New Zealand. Ben’s plight attracted huge media coverage
in New Zealand, companies like Invacare quickly came to his aide. Even the All Blacks got
behind a massive campaign that’s raised more than $300,000. A trust was formed in
Ben’s name to help pay for all of the supplies and support that Ben’s going to need for
daily life now. It’s ironic really, Ben hoped to make a living from rugby and now
rugby has provided for his future – just not how he planned.
V/O: Dr Anosa says it’s great that Ben has a trust fund but many others could do with
the same help.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: That was another thing when I spoke to the media personnel – I’m just
wondering and puzzled why Ben in particular? Why couldn’t we have all this attention
and media and hype and all this fundraising for all the other spinal injuries that we
have and not just Ben.
V/O: Dr Anosa is one of few doctors with knowledge of spinal injury in the country. He does the
best he can with what resources are available.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: Hello Ben, how are you this morning?
Ben: Very well.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: Very well? Did you get some good rest last night?
Ben: Yes
Dr. Toloa Enosa: Did you have anything to eat this morning?
Ben: No.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: No? Why not?
Ben: Because waiting for the lunch.
V/O: Ben’s family village is two hours from the hospital on the other side of the island.
Ben’s Uncle agreed to be his main caregiver; Ben needs someone with him day and night.
Doctors are concerned he has been in hospital for so long, for his mental health he needs
to go home. The fact that he is eating today is a good thing.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: He’s been depressed at times because with this depression as well
it shows with his nutritional status as well, when he refuses to eat you can only do so
much as encouraging and trying to motivate him to eat but if he refuses what can you
do – you can’t force food down any patient’s mouth or throat.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: How often are you getting the dressings – daily or twice a day?
Ben: Twice a day.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: And all these dressings, are they provided by the hospital or are they
funded by the Trust.
Ben: By the Trust.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: Luckily with supporting family and community as well as the medical personnel
we try to encourage him and try to make him see the positive side of life.
V/O: The vital first phase of treating a spinal patient is to place the neck in traction often
using something called a crutchfield traction but here in Samoa there is only one available.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: There have been incidences where we have more than one… I mean it’s
very fortunate if we just have one spinal injury of the neck where we would need the
crutchfield traction and they come one at a time but if we have two coinciding incidences
or more than two then unfortunately the other two… I mean first come first served so hence…
I mean there’s been more than one incident where we would have to put one patient on
the crutchfield traction whereas the others would just have to do with a Philadelphia
rigid collar of if none is available or fits properly then we have to just put a soft collar
there or any means of immobilisation of the neck.
Dan: What’s it like for you as a doctor?
Dr. Toloa Enosa: Very frustrating, very frustrating and you know that there are some spinal injuries,
especially spinal cases or spinal injuries that could probably have a better chance of
recovery and a better chance of improvement in their neurological deficit and function
but because of the non availability not non readily availability of resources and specialised
spinal unit, we have a shortage of doctors, a shortage of nurses, no physiotherapists
at the moment.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: Can you move your hand? What about the shoulders? Can you feel me touching
you, what about here? Below here? Can you feel any pain?
Dr. Toloa Enosa: We improvise, we try to work with what we have and we also relay and correspond
a lot with our New Zealand counterparts as well via this PIP Programme (Pacific Island
Project) and via a New Zealand Aides Scheme as well and they try and help whenever and
however they can.
Dr. Toloa Enosa: If you have any pains or any problems then you just make sure you let
the nurses know and the nurses will inform us and we’ll make sure we offer you some
medication or an injection for any pain or discomfort. You just keep on eating and keep
on praying, keep on watching your DVD’s eh. Alright...Who is that – Ritchie McCaw?
Oh it’s not my favourite team.
Ben: I try to move it...I believe God will give me another chance to do what I want.
V/O: It seems no one’s actually explained to Ben that he won’t play rugby again. I
don’t dare say anything either.