Friday, December 25, 2015

Minn. Non-Profit Applauds Hollywood"s Effort to Tackle Concussion Issue


Concussion - Official International Trailer

Updated: 12/25/2015 5:14 PM Created: 12/24/2015 8:32 PM KSTP.com Brett Hoffland

Movies are a holiday tradition for many families, and one that"s making its debut on the big screen this holiday season is "Concussion."

With an A-list actor, and the most popular sports league in the country, "Concussion" is once again shaking up the controversial topic of head trauma and football.

"People are standing up and taking notice that concussions matter," Brad Donaldson, Associate Director of Operations with the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance, said.

Donaldson says members of the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance already screened the film.

"A very powerful movie," Donaldson said.

In the flick, we"re introduced to Dr. Omalu, played by actor Will Smith, as the first to identify CTE, as a major contributor to the death of many professional athletes.

But concussions and sports in general are something Donaldson has been addressing for years. In fact, the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance estimates 50,000 sports-related concussions occur in Minnesota annually.

"Concussions have been a concussion for ages. We"re just now doing better at being aware of what a concussion may mean," Donaldson said.

One of the biggest questions parents face today is do you let your child play sports where concussions are prevalent?

"I"m not sure how it"ll change," Donaldson said when asked if the movie will affect the views of parents. "I"m hoping it creates an informed choice."

Whether it takes a bag of popcorn and Hollywood to have an impact on concussion protocol is to be determined, but Donaldson says one thing"s for sure, our country is taking more steps now to fix the problem.

"Hollywood set up and said there"s a point here, there"s something that matters, let"s tell it," Donaldson said.

Dr. Omalu will be in the Twin Cities at the beginning of next year. He"ll share his story on becoming one of the most talked about doctors with sports and medicine.

For more information on February"s event at the Beth El Synagogue here.

Source: http://kstp.com/news/stories/s4001723.shtml

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