HEIDELBERG — Just a few years ago, Derrick Turner was one of the biggest horses in Ted Williams’ loaded stable at Heidelberg High School — where he helped make the Oilers’ basketball team one of the most feared small-school programs in the state.

And while Turner’s basketball career has taken him on a successful path all across the nation, he spent the bulk of his summer in a hospital bed wondering if he’d ever live a normal life.

Shortly after Turner completed his junior season at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan., he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome — an extremely rare condition which can nearly paralyze its victims.

“He woke up one morning and his hands and feet were swelling,” said the Rev. Antroy Gavin. “The coach came to his room … they took him to the hospital and that’s what they wound up diagnosing him with. It’s terrible.”

Gavin, who is also Turner’s cousin, is one of a host of friends and family members who are putting on a benefit basketball tournament for Turner in Heidelberg Saturday.

The event — for boys’ teams ages 13-14 and 15-16 — will be held at Heidelberg High School with an entry fee of $100 and admission of $2. All proceeds will go toward medical expenses for Turner, who was just released earlier this week from Hays Medical Center.

There is no cure for Guilain-Barre Syndrome, a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks its nervous system and can make muscle use impossible. The condition can be life-threatening; it can last for several weeks in some patients and a lifetime in others.

“You don’t really know,” Gavin said. “It’s a tough situation.”

Turner, who transferred to Fort Hays from Eastern Utah, played in all 31 games for the Tigers this past season — one of their best in school history.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound forward led the Tigers in field-goal percentage (58 percent) and blocked shots (44) as Fort Hays went 27-4 and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II North Central Regional. Fort Hays was ranked No. 1 in the nation’s Division II poll at one point.

Turner, who also led the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in blocked shots, was second on the team in scoring (10.1 points per game) and rebounding (6.0 boards per game) and was fourth on the team in assists with 40. He had season-highs of 25 points and 11 rebounds and was widely considered to be the team’s top returning player.

Now, it’s a wait-and-see process to see if he’ll even be strong enough to attend school.

“He says he’s going to play again,” Gavin said. “He’s got what we call faith.

“There’s a chance he’ll play again … function again. But right now, they’re just taking it one day at a time. Derrick’s a very strong-willed person.”

Gavin also said the support of the Tiger program — from local fund-raisers in Kansas to an emergency medical fund in Hays — has also been outstanding.

“The school’s very proud of him,” he said. “They’ve done a lot for him and he’s had a lot of fans and visitors come to see him in the hospital.

“We’re all hoping that he’s going to be OK, and we’re just trying to do what we can to help the family with this tournament.”

It’s not too late to enter the benefit tourney, but those who can’t attend are also encouraged to make any donation possible.

Gavin can be reached at 601-498-0742 or 601-649-4511, while fellow benefit organizer Monroe Hales can be reached at 601-787-3135 or 601-319-0766.