Wednesday marked the first-ever Rowan's Law Day, in memory of a teen athlete who died from sustaining multiple concussions.
It's also National Coaches Week, so the Sudbury Wolves and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine partnered up for a seminar on concussions.
Liz Mousseau has been a Sudbury Wolves billet parent for nine years and says she has seen firsthand how a concussion can be a game changer.
"One of my very first players suffered a concussion and I really didn't get the education and know what to do with him or for him. So, I used all of the old school protocols and he later in life developed all of the additional symptoms that come with that including depression and anxiety, and it ended his hockey career very early." said Mousseau.
When many of us think of concussion treatment, we picture a dark room, rest, and close monitoring, but health professionals are saying things have changed.
"Initial rest strategies from very much a cocoon like dark room strategy to a bit more of a avoiding things that bother symptoms but slowly reintegrating in to daily life." said Dr. Tara Baldisera, of Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
Baldisera was one of three presenters at the seminar called Kids and Concussion: What You Need to Know.
She says one of the main messages they want participants to take away is that yes, concussions can happen, but that's not a reason to sit on the sidelines.
"All of our responsibilities to promote that awareness and that safety in sport because the last thing we want is our youth shying away from sport for fear of concussions but we need to recognize them and we need to treat them appropriately." said Baldisera.
The team of health care providers at the seminar said it is just the first of many presentations they hope to put on across northern Ontario to educate both the public and others in the medical field.
