Learning about Maurice Stokes

In my travels on the internet recently, I ran across a mention of Maurice Stokes on The Charms, Inc. website, where the club made a donation to a foundation bearing his name. I decided to do some research on him. He was born in 1933 in Pennsylvania to a steelworker and a domestic. After attending High School at Westinghouse High School, Maurice went to St Francis University in Loretto, PA , where he won the NIT in 1955. He was drafted to the NBA in 1955 by the former Rochester Royals. While there, he was named 1956 NBA Rookie of the Year, and led the league in rebounds and assists. He was an all star for the three seasons he was in the league. In March 1958, he was knocked unconscious after falling and hitting his head on the court, and after a game against the Detroit Pistons, he had a seizure and was paralyzed, only able to move his eyes. His teammate, Jack Twyman, was there with him, and became his legal guardian, since his parents, brother and sister were in Pennsylvania, and could not be with him. He handled  Maurice's medical expenses and his daily care, all while taking care of his own family. There were Benefit Games held to raise money for his medical bills and other expenses incurred. He died of a heart attack in April of 1970, and is buried at the Franciscan Friar Cemetery on St. Francis University's Campus. He was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame with the class of 2004. Learning of this story, I learned about the meaning of friendship, perseverance and keeping a positive outlook on life in general, especially when things are not going as planned.