Brain Damage in Contact Sports: What Parents Should Know Before Letting Their Children Play - Paperback

by Bennet I. Omalu (Author)

Dr. Omalu provides answers to parents who fear that contact sports might cause injuries that have long-term effects. Should your child play football, ice hockey, mixed martial arts, boxing, wrestling, rugby, gymnastics, soccer, lacrosse, BMX bike riding, trampoline jumping and gymnastics or other sports? This book will help you answer this question, for only you, the parent can answer this question. But after you have read the last page of this book, it will be a very easy question for you to answer. The simplicity of the truth can even be more fantastic and more beautiful than football or any other sport. Dr. Omalu has received phone calls, e-mails, text and social media messages from thousands of parents reaching out to him from across the world for help-asking the same questions: "Should my son continue to play rugby after his last concussion six months ago?" "I do not want my daughter to play soccer but she loves it so much, what should I do?" "Are concussions permanent brain damage?" "Is it true that helmets can cause brain damage?" "My son never suffered any brain injury while he played but did ice hockey cause his depression, diminishing intelligence and drug abuse?" "Was my son's suicide caused by football?" "If my child shouldn't play football or ice hockey, can I let him play lacrosse or soccer?"

Author Biography

Dr. Bennet Omalu performed an autopsy on September 28, 2002, which changed his life and the world of sports. He saw a disease in the brain of former NFL player, Mike Webster, which he gave the name Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy [CTE]. Dr. Omalu's life and work were featured in the movie Concussion, in the PBS documentary League of Denial, and in the books League of Denial and Concussion. He released his memoir Truth Doesn't Have a Side in 2017.