{"id":1067,"date":"2012-08-28T06:25:43","date_gmt":"2012-08-28T11:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nflconcussionlitigation.com\/?p=1067"},"modified":"2013-08-22T07:21:17","modified_gmt":"2013-08-22T12:21:17","slug":"in-memoriam-derek-sheely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nflconcussionlitigation.com\/?p=1067","title":{"rendered":"In Memoriam: Derek Sheely"},"content":{"rendered":"

It has been one year since Derek Sheely died after suffering a traumatic brain injury during football practice. His family is carrying on his legacy through the <\/span>Derek Sheely Foundation.<\/a><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the NCAA has failed to investigate the events surrounding the death of Derek. The NCAA appears to be more concerned about preventing student athletes from having dinner with Deion Sanders<\/a>, than ensuring corrective measures are taken so another player isn\u2019t killed on the gridiron. The NCAA is a multi-million dollar cash cow that has an opportunity to shine a light on concussion awareness; instead it sits idly behind its governmental structure and says that it doesn\u2019t have the authority to investigate the accident.<\/p>\n

What follows is correspondence between Derek\u2019s mother and the NCAA. As you will see, Mrs. Sheely pleads with the NCAA to step up and investigate; yet the NCAA responds with mere lip service.<\/p>\n

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December 30, 2011<\/p>\n

Mark Emmert<\/p>\n

NCAA<\/p>\n

700 West Washington Street<\/p>\n

PO Box 6222<\/p>\n

Indianapolis, IN 46206-6222<\/p>\n

As you know there is a growing concern about concussions in sports.\u00a0 What you may not know is that there are an estimated four million sports-related concussions each year.\u00a0 This is one concussion every 8 seconds<\/span>!<\/strong>\u00a0 All concussions are serious because they are traumatic brain injuries and most occur without the person being knocked unconscious.\u00a0 Concussions happen in every sport, with young children playing hockey, football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball, and cycling at the highest risk. \u00a0There are far too many concussions but far too few programs educating parents, athletes, and coaches to the dangers, signs, symptoms, and prevention of these traumatic brain injuries.\u00a0 There is even less attention being paid to critical research that could minimize, diagnose, and treat brain injuries.<\/p>\n

THE DEREK SHEELY FOUNDATION<\/strong> was created to increase awareness and research of concussions and traumatic brain injuries, with a focus on youth sports.\u00a0 The Foundation is named in honor of my beloved son, Derek Thomson Sheely, a strong and healthy 22-year-old honor student who played fullback for ten years.\u00a0 Derek was a two-time academic all-conference selection in college and never had a documented concussion<\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 On August 22, 2011, during practice for his senior season at Frostburg State University (an NCAA Division III school), Derek suffered a brain injury and died one week later on August 28.\u00a0 It is believed that Derek died from Second Impact Syndrome, which occurs when a second concussion is sustained before the brain can recover from a first concussion.\u00a0 As Derek\u2019s mother and the Executive Director of The Derek Sheely Foundation, I am dedicated to preventing other children and families from suffering through the devastating effects of concussions and brain injuries.<\/p>\n

THE DEREK SHEELY FOUNDATION<\/strong> is committed to \u201cLeading the Way\u201d towards concussion and brain injury awareness and research.\u00a0 We often think about the level of medical support available to NCAA Division I football players and professional athletes during games, however, the vast majority of the nearly 4 million concussions that occur each year happen at youth sporting events where there are no medical professionals available, where the athletes are young children and the coaches are parents.\u00a0 In these cases, education aimed at young children and their parents could prevent hundreds of thousands of concussions per year from becoming more severe.<\/p>\n

As you know, sports-related concussions and brain injuries are not something that can be solved quickly with a simple fix; rather, they are a national epidemic, requiring years of educating athletes while they are young to the signs, symptoms, and precautions.\u00a0 While helmet and protective gear technology is important, there never will be a concussion-proof helmet because they can never prevent the brain from hitting the skull.\u00a0 Therefore, The Derek Sheely Foundation has a unique goal as compared to other concussion organizations.\u00a0 That goal is to lead an initiative to educate young children, with a focus on ages 7-14, to what a concussion feels like, what you should do when you think you have a concussion, why reporting a concussion ASAP is important, and what can you do to avoid\/minimize getting\/giving a concussion.\u00a0 If we can break the stigma about athletes self-reporting concussions in these 7-14 year-olds now, then within a decade when these kids go on to play in high school and college, the concussion epidemic we are facing now could be greatly reduced.\u00a0 I know you are concerned about concussions and I know you have taken steps to help NCAA athletes, but I am asking for your help to use your power and resources to help me and The Derek Sheely Foundation extend concussion awareness and prevention to the millions of young athletes (sons, daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren) playing and enjoying sports every day.<\/p>\n

My son Derek was passionate about football and we are not looking to change the game.\u00a0 Derek may not have had the skills to play in NCAA Division I, but he did have the heart and dedication of an NCAA Division I athlete.\u00a0 One of Derek\u2019s favorite sayings listed on his Facebook page is, \u201cSome men see things as they are and say \u2018Why?\u2019\u00a0 I dream of things that never were and say, \u2018Why Not?\u2019\u201d\u00a0 It is with this spirit that The Derek Sheely Foundation has begun a campaign to raise $40 million to increase awareness and research of concussions and brain injuries (Derek wore number 40).\u00a0 We need the NCAA to partner with us to achieve this dream.<\/p>\n

THE DEREK SHEELY FOUNDATION<\/strong> is open to many different partnering arrangements with the NCAA.\u00a0 I have listed several ideas below, but please feel free to edit or add to them.\u00a0\u00a0 We could start small with one and build on our successes, or choose two or three that are most practical.\u00a0 Potential partnering arrangements:<\/p>\n