Sports Legacy Institute

230 Second Ave., Suite 200

Waltham, MA 02451
Contact: Nikeisha Maddox, Public Relations Coordinator
Day Phone: 646-715-3053
For Immediate ReleaseNovember 1, 2015
CONCUSSION EDUCATION A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH
WALTHAM, Mass. When Tammy Plevretes sent her 18-year-old son Preston
off to college at La Salle University, she never imagined he would return home a year
later confined to a wheelchair and unable to care for himself. Prestons football loving
family was thrilled he was playing for La Salle, but they did not know the price he was
about to pay.
On Nov. 5, 2005, Preston Plevretes collided head-on with an opposing player at
Duquesne University. He immediately went unconscious, awoke for a few short minutes
then lapsed into a coma. Doctors had to remove a portion of his skull during emergency
surgery in an attempt to relieve brain pressure and save his life. Plevretes survived, but
was left unable to walk, talk or eat without help. He eventually returned home to
Marlboro, New Jersey where he now requires the help of his parents, Tammy and Ted,
part-time aides, and daily therapy.
One month prior to the tragic event during the Duquesne game, Preston had
suffered a concussion during practice. He notified his coach of the resulting headaches
and was sent to the student health center. A nurse practitioner evaluated him and
performed a standardized concussion test. After passing the test and receiving a negative

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head scan at the hospital, Preston was cleared to return to play just eight days after his
concussion. The Plevretes, their lawyers and medical expert Dr. Robert Cantu believe
that Prestons horrific injury is the result of improper treatment of this first concussion.
They filed a lawsuit against La Salle University claiming negligence of care.
Dr. Cantu served as medical expert on the case and testified to the fact that the
severity of Prestons injury is a result of his previous concussion being improperly
treated. Cantu is co-founder of Sports Legacy Institute, a nonprofit organization devoted
to solving the concussion crisis, and has made tremendous steps forward in understanding
the dangers and repercussions of head injuries. His studies have provided growing and
convincing evidence that repetitive concussions can cause degenerative brain disease
and other neurological problems.
Cantu identifies second-impact syndrome as the cause of Prestons debilitating
injury. Once a person is vulnerable, additional brain trauma does not always have to be
severe to cause devastating damage, says Cantu. The second blow may be remarkably
minor, perhaps only involving a blow to the chest that jerks the athletes head and
indirectly imparts accelerative forces to the brain. Death can occur within minutes.
Cantu explains that because Preston entered the game with concussion symptoms, his
body was set up for catastrophic, malignant brain swelling should a second injury occur.
While it is true that Preston was sent to the student health center, it is believed
that his concussion test was performed improperly by the nurse practitioner. In the case
deposition, trainer Bill Gerzabek testified that he failed to perform memory, orientation,
recall, or mental status tests on Preston after his initial concussion. La Salle had
orthopedists on call for bone injuries but failed to have neurologists lined up to evaluate
players with head injuries. All of these factors contributed to Prestons initial concussion
going untreated.
It is important to note that second-impact syndrome may not always present so
severely, but it is almost always detrimental in some way. The more common result of
suffering multiple concussions is early onset dementia, depression and neurological
problems, all which appear with age. Being diligent in safe practices, avoiding
concussions and properly treating head injuries can each minimize these chances. Be
safe, Preston finds the strength to whisper. Do youwantto end uplike me?

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The Plevretes hope that Prestons incident will educate young athletes, coaches,
trainers and parents on the dangers of mistreated concussions. Preston will never play
football again and will most likely not regain a fully normal life simply because he was
not sidelined for additional games. We still love football, says Tammy Plevretes. We
dont want anyone to stop playing it. But I think kids need to see what can happen. This
isnt a broken leg. Its a broken life.
Sports Legacy Institute has made it their mission to provide concussion education
and the necessary tools to everyone involved in the youth and professional athletic world.
Visit www.sportslegacy.org for more information and to take the pledge to end the
concussion crisis.
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