Concussion Update, Part IV: Legislation to Protect your Melon

Lawmakers in Washington state are putting through a bill to help minimize the potential for traumatic brain injuries in sports. Washington has approved the country's strictest law governing the return to play of youth athletes who are suspected of having a concussion. The law, which is informally known as Zackery Lystedt's Law, state that any athlete under 18 who shows signs of concussion will be barred from returning to play until he or she has been evaluated by a physician and cleared to resume sports activities. The purpose of this law is to prevent what is known as second impact syndrome. The law also has an educational component, requiring athletes and parents to sign a concussion and head-injury information form.

The law is named for Zackery Lystedt, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2006, during a middle school football game. Zackery, then 13, took a hard hit in the end zone that put him out of the game for 15 minutes. He then went back in the game, where he collapsed on the field a few minutes later. His last words to his father before losing consciousness were, "Dad, I can't see."  Zackery was then taken to the hospital where doctors operated on the hemorrhage in his brain. Three years later, he is still in a wheel chair, although he has mostly regained his sight and speech. It took Zackery 9 months after the injury before he could speak again.