|
| Home | For Parents | For Coaches | Parent Stories | Resources | Take Action |
Rhode Island Mother and Son Become Leading Forces in Concussion Legislation
Donna Mello, 46, of Portsmouth, RI and her son Dylan, 18, have been working tirelessly in Rhode Island to help educate parents, coaches, athletes, school administrators and state law makers on the dangers of youth sports concussion. Donna and Dylan were leading forces and instrumental in helping pass the new Rhode Island Concussion Law which took effect in June 2010.
Dylan, who suffered three concussions within ten months while playing hockey and soccer, was unable to participate in high school sports his senior year and also postponed going to college as a result of persistent post-concussion symptoms.
What Happened?
In 2008, 15-year-old Dylan was a promising soccer and hockey player who was aspiring to be team captain and eventually play for a college team. After his first concussion in February 2008, which happened during a hockey game, Dylan experienced typical symptoms—headaches, sensitivity to light and foggy thinking. After sitting out for two weeks, he was on the mend and playing sports again.
Then in June, while playing in a soccer game, Dylan was struck in the head by an arm cast worn by a player on the opposing team, resulting in another concussion. Dylan spent that summer in a state of fog – unable to think clearly, focus, or concentrate – constantly sleeping and unable to drive, or even watch TV. In the fall, he felt better and his doctor cleared him to go to back to school and play sports again. But then another soccer injury – this time a ball to the head in December 2008, was another serious setback. Almost two years later, Dylan is still recovering and his mom, Donna, believes he went back to athletic activity too soon.
Becoming Activists
Fueled by watching her son struggle through the last two years, Donna became a mom with a mission. Inspired by concussion legislation in the state of Washington, she contacted her state representatives to help institute a law that would mandate school districts to educate student athletes and coaches about concussions.
Donna and Dylan testified at a hearing at the State House in Providence in January 2010. This past summer, the bill was signed into law by Governor Donald Carcieri. Donna and Dylan have also worked to bring neurocognitive assessment testing, known as ImPACT, to their local high school to help doctors determine when an athlete can safely return to play by measuring their cognitive abilities before and after a head injury.
Donna’s Message to Parents
“I did this for all the parents whose children may experience a concussion in the future so they won’t have to go through what my family had to endure. If we had the knowledge and resources back then, I truly believe that Dylan would not be in this position,” says Donna. “Every player who experiences a concussion should have an assessment by a concussion specialist along with proper neurological testing before returning to play. For Dylan, we had no evidence that he was still suffering from a traumatic brain injury and that it was unsafe for him to play sports.”
Learn More
