Let me just say that after having written these two articles about traumatic brain injury in young football players in just a couple of weeks time, I am extremely thankful that my teenage son has never expressed a desire to play football. Although I know these two cases are extremes, I still ask myself “Is it worth it?” and “What can be done to better protect our young football players?”
I don’t have those answers but in honor of Dylan Thomas, if your child plays football, I do ask that you take a long hard look and make sure that everything possible is being done to keep them safe from massive hits resulting in a traumatic brain injury like the one Dylan suffered. In Dylan’s case, those Friday night lights turned to Saturday’s candlelight vigil, then tragically Sunday night the flame went out forever. It’s a terrible tragedy to lose a high school junior to a game like this when he and the other players really had no idea exactly how high the stakes were.
The Pike County community has rallied around the Thomas family, raising over $37,000 for them in just a few days to cover hospital bills and funeral expenses for their beloved son. Let’s also surround them with our prayers as well, and if you’re a parent of a football player, please honor Dylan’s memory by going to extreme safety measures for your own child.
