Tag Archives: stephanie anderson

UPDATE [10/21/2024]: PEOPLE Magazine reports that Sam Poueu has been moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center, where he will be doing physical, occupational and speech therapy. “Tough days are still ahead – but, like always, he is working hard towards a full recovery,” his family said in a statement, which also expressed gratitude for Sam’s “wonderful medical team.”

UPDATE [9/27/2024]: Sam Poueu is making a steady recovery and his condition is significantly improved. “We are excited to share that Sam is out of ICU and is currently in stable condition,” his family said in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE Magazine. “He still has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but we are so encouraged by the progress he continues to make daily.”

For the past two weeks Twitter and Facebook have been filled with prayer requests for Sam Poueu, a Biggest Loser 9 contestant. The reasons for the prayers were purposely vague, only making clear that Sam had suffered an accident that put him in ICU. Today, the family spoke out via PEOPLE Magazine and shared what they, and Sam, have been enduring.

According to the article the accident happened on September 3 in San Francisco, California. Sam had spent the night celebrating a friend’s birthday when the party moved to an apartment rooftop, where the crew was locked out. Sam then “attempted to climb down the fire escape ladder to drop down into the fourth floor balcony and slipped,” the families say in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE. “The San Francisco Fire Department responded within minutes thanks to a neighbor’s immediate call.”

That statement to PEOPLE also explains the extent of Sam’s injuries. He “suffered many serious internal injuries and a trauma to the right side of his head. Sam has made positive and encouraging strides since his accident. Since being admitted to the hospital, Sam has stayed strong through three surgeries. To date, many of his internal injuries are on the healing mend.” (more…)