Monthly Archives: March 2012

Jim McMahon Speaking Out Against TBI in the NFL

Posted on March 30th, 2012

Brain injury awareness has been on the rise lately, and March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Our news has been flooded with stories about how TBI has been the signature injury of our overseas wars, and TBI is making headlines as the NFL faces lawsuits claiming that trainers purposefully lied to players who suffered blows to the head, disregarded their health concerns and are now responsible for the long-term effects. Many former NFL players facing TBI’s affects on concentration, speech and memory are now speaking up. Everyone remembers quarterback Jim McMahon, and he is one of the most famous players now involved in the ongoing litigation. Now in his 50s, McMahon is suffering extreme short-term memory loss from his years of playing in the NFL. One incident, reported by the Chicago Tribune, quoted a Bears trainer discussing why the team put McMahon back in the game after he suffered a…
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Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD May Have Played a Part in Afghanistan Massacre

Posted on March 28th, 2012

In the aftermath of tragedy, it is human nature to ask why the event occurred. In the case of the U.S. soldier Robert Bales, who killed 16 Afghani people as they slept in their beds, nine of whom were children, people all over the world are searching for answers. Some experts are now saying that the soldier had suffered a traumatic brain injury during his deployment in 2010, and that combined with possible post-traumatic stress disorder may have been the trigger. Of course, these medical diagnoses are only possible explanations of the behavior and are not justifications for his actions. Traumatic brain injury has been called the defining injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and some studies show incidents of PSTD affect up to one-third of our military. Dr. Gregory O’Shanick, psychiatrist and former medical director for the Brain Injury Association of America, commented that in general, “traumatic brain…
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Indiana Declared March 18-24 to be Brain Injury Awareness Day

Posted on March 26th, 2012

Sometimes, a single day is not enough to bring awareness to an important subject. The Governor’s office released a proclamation that March 18-24 was officially Brain Injury Awareness Day in Indiana. Last week, our blog highlighted March as Brain Injury Awareness Month, sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA). One of our partners, Dan Chamberlain, is the vice-chairman elect of the BIAA, in part due to his dedication to brain injury advocacy in Indiana. Recognizing that brain injuries affect 10,000 people in Indiana every year, and of those affected, 6,000 will have a permanent disability as a result, the governor’s office noted that brain injuries are “causing great emotional and financial devastation to that individual and his or her family.” The proclamation also recognizes the thousands of TBI cases currently affecting our soldiers overseas. The Brain Injury Association of Indiana has many suggestions for those who wish to…
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