Local family launches concussion organization to help injured kids and their families
Tom and Pattiann Berton know all too well how long and slow the recovery from a concussion can be – and the emotional and financial toll it can take on families.
In 2011, the Bertons’ oldest son, Patrick, then 12, suffered a concussion while playing football.
The constant, excruciating pounding in his head became a routine part of Patrick’s day, and his health deteriorated significantly, leaving him legally blind and using a wheelchair because of loss of balance.
It took doctors several years to diagnose the brain injury, and Patrick has undergone intensive therapy.
Today, Patrick is a student at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., where he is majoring in political science. This spring, he is studying abroad in Berlin.
Their struggle to find a diagnosis and deal with the aftermath of Patrick’s concussion led the Bertons to start Answers 4 Patrick Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raised awareness about life-altering medical conditions.
More recently, the Bertons, of South Strabane Township, launched IMPACTED Inc., which educates student-athletes, families and coaches about concussions, and works to make sports safer for kids.
“Kids are going to play sports anyway, so our mission is prevention,” said Barb Cyprowski, a member of IMPACTED’s board of directors. “So let’s make it as safe as possible. What better avenue to go down than making available to student-athletes the technology that’s available to make playing safer?”
IMPACTED is doing just that.
It recently held a public service announcement video contest to raise awareness of traumatic brain injuries, and the winning video, produced by Washington School District, received state-of-the-art equipment.
IMPACTED donated 65 NFL Xenith helmets, designed to reduce head impact severity and valued at more than $400 apiece, and Vane mouth guards to the Wash High Prexies football team.
The mouth guards are an important tool in diagnosing concussions: if a player sustains a blow to the head in excess of 100 Gs, bite sensors inside the mouthguard are activated and a dye pack glows red.
“So if a referee, a sideline coach or another player suspects something happened, they just have to look at the mouth guard and they can go into concussion protocol and get evaluated,” said Pattiann.
Janine Butterfield’s son, Asa Charnik, is a sophomore footballl player at Wash High who appears in the video, and she is thrilled with the high-tech equipment.
Patrick Berton suffered a concussion when he was 12. Now a successful student at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., Berton went undiagnosed for years, despite his parents’ efforts to find out the cause of his debilitating headaches and other symptoms.
“Having a son who plays football, and seeing the hits that they take, it’s a big relief,” said Butterfield. “And the organization is fantastic. It amazes me that (IMPACTED) is willing to help these kids, to go out and raise funds for to benefit them, and to try to raise awareness and prevent concussions in the first place.”
The Bertons’ life mission is to make sure other families don’t have to endure what their family did while trying to find a diagnosis for Patrick. Tom said he and Pattiann want to make it easier to diagnose concussions and make sure student-athletes receive medical treatment for brain injuries as soon as possible.
“The technology that has been coming out is light years ahead now that even two years ago. We’re trying to make that technology available to our kids, to our neighborhoods, to the people who live here,” said Tom.
IMPACTED also aims to make concussion protocol uniform throughout the WPIAL. Pattiann said school district protocols for when a student-athlete can return to play vary, and that sometimes doctors’ advice differs from school protocol.
“We all need to be on the same page. That’s my intent. We have the medical community, the educational community, the parents, students and coaches, but they’re all operating on their own and they’re not talking,” said Pattiann. “We need to connect the dots and work together.”
Dr. Jonas Marry, a chiropractor who specializes in neurological issues and serves as IMPACTED’s medical chairman, said diagnosing a concussion early is important for recovery. Problems occur when a concussion is not treated, or if a child sustains another head injury before the first one heals.
“There are physical and psychological changes that take place as a result of concussions. There’s a ton of research that shows it. It’s not opinion-based,” said Marry. “The brain needs time to heal. It’s important to get it checked out and not be in a rush to get back to play.”
IMPACTED, which hosts an annual gala fundraiser that drew 265 guests in March, also offers information and resources on how families can help their child navigate during recovery.
The Bertons plan to continue to raise awareness about concussions, and the importance of spotting and treating traumatic brain injuries as early as possible.
Pattiann recalled a recent conversation where a person asked her when she planned to walk away from IMPACTED.
“There is not end in sight for me. My dream is that IMPACTED just keeps growing, because every time we fix something – trying to get a uniform concussion protocol, trying to make the best equipment available – we keep seeing something that’s broken and we mend it,” said Pattiann. “And then we find the next thing that needs mending and we keep going. Where does it end? It doesn’t”
For more information about concussions and IMPACTED Inc., visit the website at impactedinc.org.