When Max Condradt was 17, he experienced a concussion during a high school football game.  His coach cleared him to play in a game the next week.  During that game he was tackled and, moments later, collapsed on the sidelines and slipped into a five month coma.  After he awoke, Max began a long period of rehabilitation.  Max's dad discovered that the helmet the school had provided was old and did not meet minimum standards.  He and Max decided to take action to help others avoid what Max has gone through.  Max, who now lives in a group home, and his dad worked with the The Brain Injury Association of Oregon (BIAOR) to bring a bill to the state legislature to assure that coaches are educated about brain injury and protect athletes from avoidable harm.

BIAOR has developed three bills for this legislative session:
1 – HB 2413  would add a $2 fee to the penalty paid for traffic violations.  The resulting funds would be placed in a brain injury fund to provide TBI support services
2 –  SB 381  would require all state-regulated group health insurance policies to cover cognitive rehabilitation.
3 – SB 348  would require all coaches at the elementary, middle and high school levels to have annual concussion identification training.

Yesterday, the House Education Committee held a public hearing on SB 348, dubbed “Max’s Law.”   I testified briefly before the committee, recalling an incident just last year in which a lawyer friend of mind fell and hit his head while we were playing basketball.  He was knocked out but soon revived and went to the sidelines to shake it off.  He then wanted to come back in the game.  He did, but after a few minutes of his wandering aimlessly around the court, we decided to take him to the hospital.  He had experienced a serious concussion.  My point was that even old coots like my friend (and I) don’t have the good sense to stop playing when we have our bell rung.

But as entertaining as I tried to be, the star of the hearing was Max.    Whatever deficits he may experience, it was clear that Max’s exuberance and sense of humor were not affected by his injury.  He inspired laughter and admiration in committee members who were at the end of a very demanding week of lawmaking.

 Max was a victim of “second-impact syndrome.”  After the brain sustains an injury it is highly vulnerable to more severe harm until it has had time to recover.  Experts note that "concussion produces an energy crisis in the brain. A second concussion will cause such an energy demand that it will overwhelm the survival capability of the brain."  Testimony at the hearing also noted that girl athletes now have a higher incidence of concussion than boys. Female players now experience about 29,000 concussions annually. Males have 21,000.

The committee passed SB 348 and sent it to the full House for a vote.  Since it has already been passed by the Senate, it will most likely become law.  Max, who was pumped by his legislative victory, gave me a hug as we left the hearing room.  I thought: Max was probably a good football player, he’s already a great advocate.