Daniel’s Dash for Concussion Awareness is inspired by Daniel Brett, a young man who loved football and made linebacker for his high school’s JV football team on August 24th, 2009. It was also his last day ever playing football. Daniel was pulled out of practice due to a possible concussion. In reality, no one realized Daniel had suffered numerous asymptomatic sub concussive and successive hits to the head while playing football. Even worse he kept returning to play. 

Recent studies on concussions, especially multiple “small” concussions associated with youth athletes have shown startling dangers and disabilities from Second-Impact Syndrome to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).  Disabilities from concussions are often undiagnosed; they don’t show up on MRIs, MRAs, or CT scans. But they do show up; from problems with thinking, memory, and reasoning to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, loss of impulse control, and inability to make value judgments. It’s time to change the rules regarding concussions. 

The Daniel Brett Foundation has 3 Focus Areas:  First – ImPACT™ testing for every youth athlete, the first and most scientifically-validated neurocognitive assessment, monitors athletes before, during, and after an injury and provides a baseline for comparison post-injury. Second – Training and guidelines, adopted county-wide, to educate officials, administrators, athletic coaches, athletes, and parents of the nature and risk of concussions. Third – Key school board policies and protocols that ensure thorough cognitive assessments for our student athletes post-injury to include follow-up services from physicians trained in the evaluation and management of concussions. 

Donate to The Daniel Brett Foundation at http://www.active.com/donate/danielsdash2015

CREDITS: Progress  -  Artist: Hillary Lowe