Rhode Island Gets it Right, Passes Concussion Law 

Don't let Donna Mello's diminutive stature envoke any clues as to the size of the impact she's had on the concussion world in Rhode Island- she is, simply put, a powerhouse.  Fueled by her son Dylan's successive injuries -three concussions in 10 months- and his ensuing struggles over the last two years, Donna contacted Rep. Ray Gallison (D-Bristol) in Nov. 2009 with a plea for help.  Inspired by WA State's Zackery Lystedt Law, she felt that Rhode Island athletes deserved no less than the protection afforded those 3,000 miles away.        

Dylan's struggles 

As she watched her son rapidly decline after his last concussion on the soccer field, Donna was frightened by the unknown- would he recover, and when- and by the fact that she thought she had done everything right when it came to his care.  After each injury there were doctor visits, abstinence from sports, rest periods, and return to play recommendations, all followed rigorously.  Yet by the time summer rolled around he was sleeping most of the day, constantly battled "fogginess", his memory was impaired and he fell into a depression due to the fact that he could no longer participate in sports, which were his life.  His despair trickled through the family.

A great start                                                                             

The new RI concussion law was signed by Gov. Carcieri, June 7.  Effective July 1, 2010, all school coaches and volunteers must receive concussion training, must remove any player from a game or practice that exhibits signs or symptoms of a concussion, and that player must obtain written medical authorization before being allowed to return to play, and more.  "It's an unbelievable first step," says Dr. Jacobs, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Brown University's Alpert Medical School, who testified during the legislative process, "but of course, there's plenty of work to be done." 

 Baseline testing                                                                                                                                                             

Dr. Jacobs, currently practicing at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence is the founder of the RI Concussion Management Consortium, whose mission it is to provide access to computerized neuropsychological testing (she uses ImPACT) for all RI student-athletes.  This testing establishes individual pre-season cognitive baselines to which post-concussion values can be compared.  Rep. Gallison said, "The further goal is to have every athlete do the baseline testing, and I sincerely thank and congratulate Dr. Jacobs for her assistance and advocacy helping student-athletes." Dr. Jacobs recently tested 200 Providence-area high school football players for free, with funds raised from the Children's Miracle Network Radiothon, held a few months ago.  She'll continue to provide free testing as long as she can, then the fee is a nominal $2/student.  She volunteers her time.

Funding to test all student-athletes

Dr. Jacobs would like to see funding allocated for neuropsychological testing so that all RI student-athletes, not just football players can be tested. "It's really the best tool we currently have to evaluate a large number of students, quickly," she said recently.  Donna Mello agrees.  "If Dylan had been tested, and had had a baseline evaluation to compare to, we likely would have handled his recovery differently.  It also would have given me the ammunition I needed to keep him out of the game longer, which may have shortened his 2-year recovery."

Rhode Island concussion resource                                                

Neurologist Dr. Mason Gasper has been running the Sports Concussion Management Program at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island for two years. Staffed with neuropsychologists and pediatric specialists, he sees many of the more complex cases. "We're fortunate that we have qualified athletic trainers in the area who do a great job handling concussions at the high school, and collegiate level.  But if the symptoms persist and the outcome seems uncertain, our trained specialists step in and guide the recovery."  Dr. Gasper's neuropsychologists provide comprehensive evaluations that are more thorough than the computerized tests.  He and his staff also assist with school management plans and other facets of complex concussion treatment.

Moving on

As for Dylan, he's hoping to close this chapter.  He just graduated from high school this week, but postponed his college plans because he feels his brain isn't up to the rigors of all that college demands.  As many of his friends move on, he'll struggle with the feeling of being left behind, but hopefully not for too long.  As for the community service aspect of his resume, it could read "Made sports safer in Rhode Island, saved lives."

Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs   Hasbro Hospital, Providence RI

Dr. Mason Gasper   Sports Concussion Management Program/ Memorial Hospital of RI                               401-729-2483