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MOBILE, AL – A discussion covering “How Do We Prevent, Identify and Treat Concussions in Youth?” took place this afternoon at the Mobile Infirmary Medical Center in Mobile, Alabama. The event was a part of the Sarah Jane Brain Project’s 40+ state nationwide tour promoting the prevention, identification and awareness of brain injury. The moderator of the event was Dr. Juan Ronderos, Neurosurgeon and Director of Pinnacle Brain and Spine Center. He spoke about the fact that “up until recently the National Football League, concussions were a silent epidemic.” Dr. Ronderos also indicated that with TBI there isn’t one specific test to diagnose it, which is why it often goes undiagnosed.
Following the introduction, the crowd was able to engage with the panelists who ranged from experts in the brain injury field to those who have personal family experience with youth brain injury. Kurtis R. Freund, MAT, ATC is an Athletic Training Supervisor at Providence Hospital Sports Medicine. He stated that, “As an athletic trainer I feel that (athletic trainers) can have a grass-root impact on concussions because we are at the schools with the students, teachers and parents on a daily basis.” Ms. Evelyn McGhee, the Mother of Timothy Robinson a child with sports related injury, reiterated the importance of parental involvement in the prevention of youth brain injury. She informed the crowd that many “parents are not taking their children’s injuries seriously enough and parents need to be mindful of how serious (TBI) is.”
Local head football coach at Alma Bryant High School Eddie Stephenson provided a coach’s perspective to the issue. He pointed out how expensive it is to provide the best safety equipment for the high school players which are important since they can lower concussion rates. Mr. Stephenson also pointed the importance of also changing the perception associated with sitting out when having concussion symptoms. He said that when he “played football you weren’t a man if you didn’t get back up and play, but we are working to change that mentality.”