Concussion Concerns
CENTER TWP — Butler High School's 2013 graduating class is planning for the future.
But not Zach Collins.
“He's living in the moment, quite literally,” said Scott Collins, his father. “That's the best way I can describe it.”
Collins has been a three-sport athlete at Butler, participating in football, wrestling and baseball. He dabbled this year in indoor track and field.
But Collins hasn't been in school since March 20.
He is suffering from a severe concussion that has robbed him of his short-term memory.
“You can ask him a question, talk to him ... five minutes after you leave the room, he won't remember you ever being here,” said Donna Collins, his mother.
Collins was involved in a small fender-bender accident on March 7.
“It was a slight bump. He might have been going 15 mph,” his father said. “There was no air bag deployment, no sign of any injury. But that might have been where it all started ... We don't know.”
During a baseball scrimmage March 20 at Mount Lebanon, Collins dove for a ball in the outfield and landed hard on the frozen ground. Days earlier, he was allegedly hit in the head with a baseball during practice, though that has not been confirmed.
“Zach never told us about getting hit in the head with a ball, but a teammate did days later,” Scott Collins said. “We weren't at the scrimmage when he hit the ground. We found out about that days later as well.
“You try to piece things together ... All we know is he started experiencing headaches, feeling tired and he wasn't walking normally.”
The family has been dealing with doctors ever since.
Collins has been tested for mononucleosis and meningitis. He spent eight days in Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh before being referred to the Children's Institute in Squirrel Hill, where he's been since April 12.
Dr. Megan Groh Miller of Tri-Rivers Surgical Associates has done extensive research on concussions through UPMC. Speaking about concussions in general, she described Collins' short-term memory situation as “very unusual.”She said 80 percent of concussion patients “no longer experience symptoms after 10 days to two weeks. Ninety percent are fine after four weeks.”Collins' treatments have included physical, occupational and speech therapy. He's been to a chiropractor as well.“His body stability and balance seem to be better,” said his father.Collins' long-term memory is fine. He recognizes family and friends, recalls participating in sports and making the varsity baseball team. But his education is on hold.“The school was great with us when this first happened,” Donna Collins said. “Zach was going to be homeschooled. They set us up with three tutors to help him with all of his classwork.“But he can't remember anything.”His mother took a leave of absence from her work to be with Collins every day at the Children's Institute. He needs to be constantly reminded of why he's there.“If a family member isn't there every day he wakes up, he'd freak out,” his father said. “He doesn't understand why he's not home.”Zach is the youngest of three sons. Older brothers Adam and Dakoda were also multiple-sport athletes at Butler.Dakoda Collins graduated last year and is fourth on Butler's all-time wrestling win list with 117. He is a student at Butler County Community College and has spent each Tuesday — his day off from classes — with Zach.
“I realize now I'm pretty lucky,” Dakoda Collins said. “I know I've had concussions — minor ones — from playing sports. It's just the luck of the draw, I guess.”Dr. Miller said, “There can be detrimental outcomes to recurring hits. Younger athletes can take longer to recover because their brains have not totally matured yet.”Sam Marak, senior point guard on Butler's girls basketball team and a friend of the Collins family, had 400 bracelets made up with the inscription: “Be Strong. Be Brave. Never Give Up Z.”Sam is selling the bracelets at school to raise money for the Collins family.“It's definitely scary,” Sam said of Zach's condition. “All athletes suffer a concussion at some point in their lives. I'm sure I've had a few.“Just seeing what can happen ... I couldn't have imagined this. You can't play around with a hit on the head.”Collins' prognosis is unknown. He has been on medication designed to stimulate his memory.“The doctors and therapists are wary of giving us any kind of false hope right now,” Scott Collins said. “Nobody seems to have any answers.”“It's terrifying,” his wife said. “I don't know where this is going to end up.“I want my kid back, and I don't know when or if that's going to happen.”Scott Collins understands why Zach never told him about getting hit with a baseball or diving to the ground.“It's his senior year, his one chance to play varsity. A kid doesn't want to risk giving that up,” he said. “Hopefully, though, the next kid who takes a blow to the head says something to his parents.”Dr. Miller admitted that many athletes are hesitant to disclose information about getting hit on the head.“They don't want to be taken away from the game,” she said. “Often times, a kid goes back in (to the game), takes another hit ... It only makes it worse and makes the recovery time longer.”The Collins family knows all about that.“This has been a rough 40 days,” Scott Collins said.
