Samboy Lim now ‘out of coma, shows emotions’

Samboy Lim, the PBA all-time great who collapsed during a game among pro legends more than two months ago, is out of the hospital and is being taken care of in a condominium near The Medical City, according to posts in the Samboy Lim PDA Facebook account.

The 52-year-old Lim collapsed after playing the first six minutes of the exhibition game at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig on Nov. 28. He fell into coma and spent more than two months in the hospital.

An update in the post said that Lim “is now out of coma, has opened his eyes, has a sleep-wake cycle, smiles at funny stories, cries when he becomes aware of his condition.”

The post said that Lim was moved out of the hospital on Jan. 14 after the “doctors approved the hospital room that we set up for him.”

“This may be a long journey [for Samboy] but each step is a step forward and closer to his recovery,” the post said. “Sam’s recovery has surprised his doctors, who told us that what we see in Sam now is entirely his and God’s will.”

One of the biggest signs of Lim’s recovery was when his only child Jamie, a 17-year-old karate champion, told her dad that she passed entrance exams at University of the Philippines, La Salle and at Ateneo.

Lawyer Lelen Berberabe, Lim’s estranged wife, said in the post that the former PBA star shed a tear as Jamie held his hand.

“Samboy was deeply touched,” the post quoted Berberabe. “And he cried. A tear fell down his cheeks.”

While in hospital, Lim was attended to by at least 19 physicians. His medical expenses reportedly reached P2.8 million.

In the post, Lim’s family said they are grateful to the relatives, friends, fans and supporters who helped defray his medical expenses.