CTE Awareness: A Mother's Story of Loss and Advocacy

A Mother's Grief and Purpose

• 💔 Karen Zagel shares the heartbreaking story of her son Patrick, who died by suicide at age 32.
• 🧠 She attributes his struggles and eventual death to repetitive head trauma sustained from playing football.
• 💡 Driven by her loss, Karen is now dedicated to educating other parents about the dangers of contact sports and their link to CTE.

Patrick's Transformation

• ✨ Patrick was described as a sweet and kind individual, but his personality began to change during his high school football years.
• 😠 He became short-tempered and angry, a stark contrast to his former self.
• 🏈 These changes continued and worsened after playing football in college at Dartmouth.

Advocacy and Awareness

• 🌐 Karen and her husband founded stopct.org to raise awareness and educate families about the risks of repetitive brain trauma.
• ⚠️ They learned firsthand that the brain is more fragile than commonly understood.
• 🤝 The Zagulls attended the International Summit on Repetitive Brain Trauma, hosted by the M. Parkman Foundation, to further their advocacy.

Promoting Safer Sports Practices

• 🚩 There is a growing movement to encourage flag football for children until at least age 14.
• ⚽ Recommendations also include limiting contact in other sports like soccer and cheerleading.
• 🏈 Football has the strongest known link to CTE, with a significant percentage of retired players believing they have the condition.
• 📺 The Zagulls no longer watch football, as the sport is no longer entertaining for them due to their personal experience and understanding of the risks involved.