Parents' plea for sport head injury awareness

Sunday 05 February 2012

As the US prepares for the Super Bowl the parents of a young American footballer, who died from repeated head blows, tell Channel 4 News the "suck it up and see" culture in sport has to change.

Nathan Stiles was 17 years old. In the words of his mother Connie he was a "wonderful kid". His life was cut unexpectedly short following a routine game of American football.

The teenager is the youngest known victim of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which is a degenerative disease found in the brains of athletes who suffer repeated head blows.

CTE is not a well known condition in the UK but in the US more and more time and money is being spent on research following a number of high-profile deaths in ice hockey and American football.

Nathan's parents told Channel 4 News they welcome the research.

His mum Connie said: "They need to know why it affects some people and not others. Whatever they can do to save another family going through what we've been through they have to do."

Nathan's parents, like the majority of people, had never heard of CTE. When their son complained of headaches they took him to a doctor. A CT scan showed nothing out of the ordinary. He was signed-off football for three weeks as a precaution.

Nathan's headaches appeared to pass, he returned to the pitch but not long after that he was dead. When the teenager's brain was examined it showed similarities to the brains of boxers who had lived into their seventies.

Read more: Sporting stars' death raise concussion fears

'Suck it up culture' in sport has to change

Nathan's parents are also raising awareness about the dangers of headaches and concussion among young sports stars across the world.

They say that if Nathan had known a headache could lead to his death he would not have played American football.

Connie said: "As far as young athletes and coaches go, if kids have a headache they've got to speak out. I think kids don't speak out because they don't think it will lead to anything."

That's a view shared by Nathan's dad Ron who fears that some sports stars don't speak up because it is seen as a sign of weakness: "I think that's something that really needs to change.

"They (athletes) shouldn't suck it up and be tough - it could be very serious."

Calls for 'hit count' to be introduced

The Sports Legacy Institute in America is now calling for a "hit count" initiative to be introduced to protect young people playing American football.

The proposal is modelled on a "pitch count" system which is in force for young baseball players across the US.

It limits the number of pitches children can throw in a day based on their age. The idea is to prevent baseball players wearing out their ulnar collateral ligament because of repeated trauma caused by the pitching motion.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Lewis pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning in Game 6 of MLB' World Series baseball championship in St. Louis (Reuters)

Dr Cantu, clinical professor of neurosurgery at Boston University School of Medicine said: "If we go to such great lengths to protect the elbows of baseball players then heck, don't you think we ought to set limits to the number of times we allow a child to be hit in the head in sports?"

The idea has the backing of Ron and Connie Stiles who say "it makes sense".

But as more than 100 million people prepare to watch the Super Bowl in the US on Sunday night how does Nathan's mum feel seeing the athletes take such big blows?

"There are times I cringe a little but look how many people play and nothing happens. You can't live your life in total fear."

Ron and Connie Stiles have set up "The Nathan Project" since their son's death - you can find out more at www.nathanproject.com