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In 2006 Zachery Lystedt, a former middle school football player from the state of Washington, suffered a life-threatening brain injury during his school football game, resulting in a long road to recovery. Lystedt, 13 at the time, was tackled and hit his head hard on the ground. He continued to play through the rest of the game, unaware of any injuries. Concern arose when Lystedt started shaking his head with complaints of his head hurting, before collapsing into his fathers arms.In 2006 Zachery Lystedt, a former middle school football player from the state of Washington, suffered a life-threatening brain injury during his school football game, resulting in a long road to recovery. Lystedt, 13 at the time, was tackled and hit his head hard on the ground. He continued to play through the rest of the game, unaware of any injuries. Concern arose when Lystedt started shaking his head with complaints of his head hurting, before collapsing into his fathers arms.
The months following his injury were difficult. Lystedt was in a coma for 31 days, unable to move or speak for 9 months, and had to be fed through a feeding tube for almost 2 years. He became one of roughly 400,000 student-athletes who, according to statistics compiled by Ohio State University and Nationwide Childrens Hospital, suffered a concussion during the year.
Life had been flipped upside-down for the Lystedt family. With ongoing therapies, and hospital visits which will continue for the rest of Zacherys life, they wanted to do something to ensure other young athletes take precaution, so they drafted a bill. In May 2009, The Zachery Lystedt Law was signed in the State of Washington. Thanks to The Zachery Lystedt Law, young athletes under 18 suspected of having a concussion are not to allowed to return to a game unless they have been checked and cleared by a licensed professional. The consequences of returning to a game could be life altering.
The Sarah Jane Brain Foundation (SJBF) and the American College of Sports worked together to create a joint initiative called The Zachery Lystedt Brain Project to protect student athletes from concussions and other brain injuries during training, practices, and games by enacting similar legislation in every state. The Zachery Lystedt Brain Project was formally announced in 2010 during the 44th Super Bowl, at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the State Lead Center for acute care in brain injury. In just under 5 years, The Zachery Lystedt Law achieved a milestone of passing in all 50 states. The Lystedt Law grabbed the attention of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who advocated for the Law.
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