TheHomewoodStar.com
June 2013
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The Homewood Star Volume 3 | Issue 3 | June 2013
Wedding Trends
neighborly news & entertainment for Homewood
More than a bump on the head Appearing normal from the outside, area students suffer severe, long-lasting effects of mild traumatic brain injury
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Hall-Kent Elementary student Will Stephan spends much of his time watching and painting birds during his long-term recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury. Photo by Madoline Markham.
By MADOLINE MARKHAM On Feb. 10, Will Stephan hit his head on the concrete floor during a basketball game. His mom, Marjorie Davis-Trimm, didn’t think much of it. Will got up and walked off the court, and the final three minutes of the fourth-grade Over the Mountain game proceeded. But in the days to follow, Will, a rising fifth grader at Hall-Kent Elementary, was more tired than normal. Then his speech started to slur. He was confused. He couldn’t remember anything. When getting out of the car, he forgot to unbuckle his seatbelt. He tried to throw away dishes instead of putting them in the dishwasher. Will was diagnosed with a concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head that changes the way the brain normally works. Three months later, he was still not able to attend school. He looked fine on the outside, but he was constantly tired and had a headache. The effects of traumatic brain injury
are far-reaching, affecting thinking, sensation, language and emotions. Resting is critical because brain injury depletes brain energy. If a student is studying a lot, the brain has less energy to repair itself. As a part of his brain rest, Will is not permitted to watch TV, play computer or video games, read, listen to music or be in bright light. Many of his days are passed lying on the couch, playing with clay or bird watching. He grows faint after going somewhere for more than 30 minutes, and he always wears sunglasses due to his light sensitivity. His energy might surge, but it dies away after a few days. In the classroom, traumatic brain injury might manifest itself in complications with memory, new learning, attention and processing speed, as well as a decreased frustration tolerance. Increasing incidents of injury Will and his family are not alone.
See CONCUSSION | page 25
Local Concussion Incidents* Prior to 2010: around 25 2010-11: 60 2011-12: 340 *New concussion cases seen by the concussion clinic at UAB Sports Medicine at Children’s of Alabama
National Brain Injury Incidents** 62% 71% 71% Falls
Increase in emergency departments visits for sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI) among children and adolescents Sports-related TBI emergency department visits that were males Sports-related TBI emergency department visits that were ages 10-19 Cause half of traumatic brain injuries in ages 0-14
**Data from the Centers for Disease Control from 2001-2009