ROWAN’S STORY
Rowan Stringer was an Ottawa highschool rugby player who’s life was tragically lost in 2013 due to concussion related injuries. A coroner’s inquest following her death revealed that Rowan had played through undiagnosed concussions the week leading up to her passing. Ultimately, it was determined that she suffered from Second Impact Syndrome, a rare but often fatal condition which occurs when the brain sustains a second concussion before it has fully recovered from the first impact. The coroner’s inquest also led to 49 recommendations in order to increase safety with respect to concussions in sport. Below are some of the recommendations.
- Ensuring an athlete is removed immediately from play if a concussion is suspected and does not return to play until medically cleared
- Mandatory concussion awareness and management sessions for students and parents
- Developing tracking strategies for concussion injuries to ensure proper treatment and clearance.
- Ensuring appropriate return learn and return to play protocols are in place
- Creating an annual awareness and learning opportunity at all Ontario school boards, such as “Brain Day,” to provide students consistent, up-to-date and accurate information.
As we treat concussion injuries on a daily basis and see first hand the impact they can have on the lives of the injured person and their family members, our Complete Concussion Management practitioners are committed to providing the most up to date and research-based management and treatment for concussions. We aim to educate students, coaches, parents, teachers and athletes on the importance of recognizing the signs and symptoms of concussion. It is imperative that we continue to support our young athletes through education and to help take away the stigma that is associated with sitting out of play when injured.
For more information on our concussion program, please contact us at 613-435-9144 or email us at admin@dynamicottawa.ca .
