Published: June 12, 2008 08:15 pm            

BUFFALO BILLS: Emmet Belknap welcomes Dr. Andy Cappuccino

LOCKPORT — When Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett went down with his spinal chord injury last year at Ralph Wilson Stadium, no one, not even the man credited with helping to save his life and allowing him to walk again, Lockport’s Dr. Andy Cappuccino, thought it was serious.

“Initially I thought it was a simple concussion when he was lying on the field. We often times see players at that level in the NFL with concussions,” orthopedic surgeon Dr. Cappuccino said while addressing the Emmet Belknap Middle School sixth grade class.

“When it was determined by the training staff that he had the inability to move, I was summoned on the field. When I did Kevin’s exam, my heart sank, because I knew immediately from my physical examination that he had a cervical spine injury and was paralyzed at that time from the neck down.”

A member of the Bills’ medical staff for many years, it was in this capacity that Dr. Cappuccino was thrust into the international spotlight when Everett suffered a cervical fracture and dislocation (broken neck) in the Bills’ 2007 home-opener against the Denver Broncos.

Cappuccino addressed the Belknap sixth grade class for about an hour and a half on Thursday morning, talking not only about the Everett experience, but also providing students with safety lessons and a guide to future success.

“He taught us that in football, you don’t lead with your head. Keep your head up,” said Belknap student Marshall Taylor, the one responsible for Dr. Cappuccino’s appearance.

Taylor, 12, the son of John and Mary Brennan-Taylor of Pine Street, wrote Dr. Cappuccino a letter after reading Kevin Everett’s book.

His specific questions were:

n “What went through your mind at the moment Kevin Everett’s head collided during the tackle?”

n “Since you were a football player yourself and now you’re a spine surgeon, what recommendations would you make to Little Loop, modified and high school football players about safety?”

n “Since there aren’t usually physicians and spine surgeons on the sidelines during youth and high school football games, what would you suggest that coaches, trainers and players do if there is ever an injury like the one that Kevin Everett suffered?”

And finally he asked in his letter, “Would you come to my school to speak to the sixth grade class?”

To Marshall’s surprise, Dr. Cappuccino agreed.

“When he wrote back, that was a real surprise. He took the time to answer every one of my questions. Then when he said he would be willing to speak to the whole class, that made me happy,” Taylor said.

Dr. Cappuccino went on to give Belknap students life lessons, such as continuing their education and simply being the very best they can possibly be.

“He stressed the importance of training, no matter what you do in life, and how it kicked into gear when Kevin Everett was injured,” said Taylor’s mom, Mary Brennan-Taylor.

“No matter what you do in life, whether you’re a mechanic or a chef, whatever, that you should stay on top of the latest technologies of your profession and continue your education.”

Dr. Cappuccino teaches spine surgery techniques internationally, and has operated in Europe, South America, Australia and in Asia and Africa as a guest spine surgeon. An author of numerous scientific and medical articles and textbooks about spine surgery, he has served on the editorial board for the North American Spine Society Annual Meeting.

Cappuccino was honored by Business First and selected as Western New York’s “Health Care Hero” in 2005 for his contributions as an innovator of medical technology.

Taylor said the experience of meeting and talking to Dr. Cappuccino was one he’ll never forget.

“I learned that you can do anything you want do in life, just do the best that you can and always work hard,” Taylor said.

Dr. Cappuccino and his wife, Dr. Helen Cappuccino, a breast surgeon at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, are the parents of six.

        

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