I can’t believe I’m writing this: but I have to give hockey full credit. When it comes to shedding light on brain injury for the general public and in the mainstream media; there’s been no better source over the past few months. So relish it now while you can hockey fans. Your sport has done some good for society as a whole.
Sidney Crobsy’s post concussion syndrome made headlines last week. This week, it’s the investigation into deceased NHL tough-guy Derek Boogaard’s death. An autopsy of Mr. Boogaard’s brain showed chronic traumatic encephalatopy (commonly referred to as CTE). CTE is a close relative to Altzheimer’s disease. It’s believed that Mr. Boogaard’s CTE came as a result of taking so many blows, shots, and impacts to his skull. Symptoms of CTE include memory loss, depression, impulsiveness, mood swings and even addictions. These are common symptoms which we personal injury lawyers see in our clients who have sustained traumatic brain injuries.
More than 20 deceased professional NFL football players and numerous deceased boxers have been diagnosed with CTE in the past decade. Doctors opine that had Mr. Boogaard lived a longer, his CTE would have worsened resulting in middle age dementia. Imagine that: middle age dementia on account of playing hockey.
Teamates reported that Boogaard fell asleep while playing cards on the team plane; passed out in corners of the locker room; and was known for being late for workouts and practice. Not habits of a professional athlete. But perhaps, this can all be explained by Boogaard’s CTE. The reports of Boogaard’s behaviour may seem out of the ordinary, but they are common occurrence for anyone experiencing or living with somebody who has experienced a traumatic brain injury.
Now take the fact that Boogaard was a multi million dollar professional athlete with access to the best rehabilitation facitilties money can buy. He had a team of coaches, trainers, doctors, and therapists at his disposal. He was not some oridinary Joe who was just involved in a car accident sustaining a closed head traumatic brain injury.
The sad thing in all of this is there are thousands of Ontarians each year who sustain head injuries. They have common symptoms to Boogaard. Like Boogaard, they have problems with memory, fatigue, mood, addiction, depression, anxiety and other common head injury symptoms. Yet, they don’t recieve an ounce of attention which the Boogaard story, or the Crosby story have recieved over the past month. And that’s why myself, and countless other personal injury lawyers across Ontario have tipped their hats to the NHL: for shedding light on brain injury and the devastating impact it has on accident victims and their families.
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