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Gov. Gregoire attends opening of concussion program at Harborview

For Immediate Release: July 14, 2009

SEATTLE � Gov. Chris Gregoire today joined leaders from the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle Children�s Hospital and Harborview Medical Center at the opening of the Seattle Sports Concussion Program at Harborview. Also present was Zackery Lystedt, an athlete whose personal story influenced the program�s creation.

�It�s a proud day for all here to witness firsthand what has happened after so much hard work by Zackery�s advocates,� Gregoire said. �Two months ago, I signed a bill into law that requires a doctor to give the OK before a student who suffers a head injury is allowed back on the playing field. Thank to this law, this program will go a long way in protecting the health of our young athletes.�

The Zackery Lystedt concussion law is named after the Maple Valley teenager who suffered a serious brain injury while playing football in October 2006. Because no one recognized the signals of his trauma, Lystedt continued to play and later collapsed with life-threatening injuries. Lystedt was one of the approximately 3.8 million Americans who sustain concussions from sports and recreation-related injuries each year.

Under the law, approval is now required from a health care provider before youth athletes who have suffered a head injury can re-enter play. The Seattle Sports Concussion Program, a partnership among UW Medicine, Harborview and Children�s, will provide education on the prevention and treatment of concussions. Composed of health care providers in areas such as neuropsychology, rehabilitation medicine, radiology and sports medicine, the program will operate out of Harborview and Children�s.

�Concussions can be a serious health problem and they require immediate recognition and proper management,� said Dr. Stanley Herring, co-medical director of the Seattle Sports Concussion Program. �With this program, our community is taking an important step forward to protect athletes who play organized sports.�

�What happened to Zackery is preventable. That�s why this program is so important,� Gregoire said. �Zackery is a remarkable young man with an incredible spirit. I know he and his family have worked hard to turn tragedy into triumph.�

Lystedt attended the event with his parents, Mercedes and Victor Lystedt, and helped the governor cut the ribbon.