Former French international Jean-Pierre Adams was in a coma for 39 years. He died on Monday at the age of 73.
The French ex-international Jean-Pierre Adams has died at the age of 73. Adams was in a coma for 39 years following a doctor’s mistake during routine surgery. Until recently, his wife Bernadette had hoped that he would wake up after all.
In his career, the Dakar-born defender had played for Nimes (1970-73) and PSG (1977-79), among others. Both clubs announced the death of Adam on Monday. “PSG have lost a great former player. Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones,” said the capital’s club.
In Nimes and the Equipe Tricolore, Adams had formed the “black guard” in central defense alongside Marius Tresor, and he completed a total of 22 missions for the national team. With Nimes he was sensational runner-up in 1972, and the team reached the cup final a year later.
Routine surgery was Jean-Pierre Adams’ undoing
In March 1982 – the 34-year-old had slowly let his career end by then – Adams was supposed to undergo routine knee surgery in a hospital in Lyon. Because the treating anesthetist dosed the anesthetic wrongly, Adams suffered a bronchospasm, the cramping muscles prevented the oxygen supply to the brain. He fell into a vegetative state. The anesthetist was sentenced years later to a fine and one month suspended prison sentence.
Adams was cared for by his wife Bernadette for a total of 39 years: he could breathe and eat independently, but was in a vegetative state. However, she refused euthanasia, which Tresor publicly advocated: “I just don’t have the courage to refuse him food and water,” she said. Her hopes that Adams would wake up after all, however, were not fulfilled.
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