Severely hurt Tejano singer Emilio listed as stable

HOUSTON — Doctors Tuesday began rewarming Tejano entertainer Emilio Navaira as part of their treatment of the severe brain injury he suffered when his tour bus crashed on a Houston freeway last weekend.



Physicians hoped the Grammy-winning singer's recovery would be aided by his enrollment in a hypothermia research study even before he underwent surgery Easter Sunday to remove a blood clot that was putting pressure on his brain.



His body temperature, lowered as part of the research, was being raised Tuesday in increments of about one-quarter-degree Centigrade per hour, a likely 16-hour procedure before his temperature reached a normal 98.6 degrees, or 37 degrees Centrigrade.



Dr. Alex Valadka, director of neurotrauma services at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and vice chair of neurosciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, described Navaira, known to fans simply as Emilio, as stable.



"In his case, that's good," he said. "We're still afraid something adverse can happen. The main thing we're watching continues to be the pressure in his brain.

"

Valadka said if the pressure increases, doctors would try medication to control it.



Valadka, who performed the two-hour surgery with his team, said some lab studies and research data suggest hypothermia may improve the outcome.



"That's the whole point of this study, to see if that actually holds true in a real-world situation," he said "It's one thing to get it to work well in the laboratory, but implementing it in a real live critical care situation is a very different task.

"

Navaira, 45, was behind the wheel of his tour bus before dawn Easter Sunday following a show at a Houston nightclub when it slammed into a freeway interchange barrier made of barrels. He was thrown through the windshield.



The wreck, which remains under investigation, left several members of Navaira's band with less serious injuries.



Police in Bellaire, the Houston enclave where the crash occurred at the interchange of Interstate 610 and U.S. Highway 59, said Navaira was not licensed to drive the 26,000-pound tour bus. Authorities said it was possible he may have fallen asleep. They also were awaiting the results of blood-alcohol tests.



Doctors have put his survival chances at 30 to 35 percent. Even if he lives, however, Valadka said it was possible he could remain in a coma, be paralyzed or have memory loss.



Navaira was in a coma when he was brought to the emergency room Sunday and has been kept in a medically induced coma. Valadka said there were no guarantees he quickly would regain consciousness once his temperature returned to normal.



"The time period is going to be pretty long," he said. "It's unusual for someone to wake up quickly when they were as badly injured as he was.

"

The San Antonio-born Navaira has five children, ranging in age from 2 to 18, from two marriages.



About 700 fans gathered Monday night outside the Alamodome in San Antonio for a candlelight prayer vigil. Other vigils were held at a church in Houston and outside his hospital in Houston.



Navaira and his band, Rio, had tour dates planned for later this week in California. They've released more than a dozen albums, including "Acuerdate," or "Remember," which won a Grammy in 2003 for best Tejano album.

Good,lets hope he keeps getting better,and recovers completely!

Doctors have put his survival chances at 30 to 35 percent. Even if he lives, however, Valadka said it was possible he could remain in a coma, be paralyzed or have memory loss.

my prayers are with him!! :(

Well it's better news.

My sobrinita from Houston was telling me this morning that Emilio ALwaYs let his brother (mentally challenged ) be part of his gig...now you tell me si no es un santo...que lindo y que tierno...muah te quiero Milio :rosa:

NEWS UPDATE:EMILIO
HOUSTON --

POSTED: 12:45 pm CDT March 27, 2008
UPDATED: 5:19 pm CDT March 27, 2008

Emilio Responds To Family Members
Tejano Singer Remains In Critical Condition

http://www.ksat.com/entertainment/15723752/detail.html

I heard about that earlier today. good news indeed.

4got10ndn wrote:My sobrinita from Houston was telling me this morning that Emilio ALwaYs let his brother (mentally challenged ) be part of his gig...now you tell me si no es un santo...que lindo y que tierno...muah te quiero Milio :rosa:

I wonder if she was talking about Raulito? but I don't know for sure if he is Mentally Challanged.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=qXAeC5yAQzg&[/youtube]

Well-mentally challenged or not that is one TALENTUOSO pair of hermanos!
Que Viva El Grupo RIO!! Arriba Raulito and Milio!
Damn I'm a proud Tejazlana!

iPedro wrote:I heard about that earlier today. good news indeed.

4got10ndn wrote:My sobrinita from Houston was telling me this morning that Emilio ALwaYs let his brother (mentally challenged ) be part of his gig...now you tell me si no es un santo...que lindo y que tierno...muah te quiero Milio :rosa:

I wonder if she was talking about Raulito? but I don't know for sure if he is Mentally Challanged.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=qXAeC5yAQzg&[/youtube]

]

I know for sure that Raulito is NOT mentally challenged. I've met and talked to him on several occasions. He has even written some of the songs.

I've seen him in interviews and he did not give any indications of it. but being mentally challenged doesn't mean a person is not capable of doing things like performing on stage and touring. That is why I was wondering. Plus I wasn't aware they had another Brother.



I wonder how Emilio is coming along. any of you Tejanos heard or read any updates?