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Young Athletes Concussion Program Patient Stories

Brad: Concussion

Brad Barker

When a teammate collided violently into him at home plate during practice drills, catcher Brad Barker, 18, literally felt his brain shake inside his skull. Weeks later, a tree branch accidentally smacked him in the face, worsening his symptoms. Learn how he finally found the help he needed after reading an ESPN article about the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

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Chelsea: Concussion

Image of Chelsea.

After two kicks to the head during a club soccer game, Chelsea was seeing double and experiencing painful headaches. Read how the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program guided Chelsea to actively engage her symptoms, getting her back to play.

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Kazu: Concussion

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After a series of heading drills, Kazu noticed that something was off. Despite feeling this way, he still played in the soccer game later that day. Once the game ended, he got an intense headache and felt lethargic, and his symptoms didn't go away. Learn how Kazu got better with help from the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

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Zeke: Concussion

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Zeke received a knock to the head during an inline hockey club tournament, giving him the worst headache he'd ever had. The concussion experts at UPMC found a preexisting eye condition heightened by the concussion. They helped resolve both problems, and Zeke's performance in school began to improve.

Read Zeke's story