During a pre-season football game in early September, 17-year-old Zack McLeod suffered a traumatic brain injury: a left acute subdural hematoma—a large collection of blood between the brain and the skull cap. Even though doctors confirmed that the injury occurred that night as a result of the sheering effect of a direct blow to the head, it is hard to detect exactly when that blow occurred by looking at the game film. After making a tackle on the far side of the field Zack got up and for no apparent reason fell back as if he had tripped over nothing. Noticing this, the coach called him to the sideline and asked him if he was OK. Zack said, "I'm fine coach!" and then immediately collapsed. He was airlifted to the trauma unit where he arrived in a coma.
Surgeons performed an emergency craniotomy to remove the blood clot. For the next four days they monitored his intracranial pressure, but it eventually became so great that the surgeons had to perform a craniectomy, which involved temporarily removing a portion of the skull cap on the left side of his head. They surgically placed the cap just below the skin in his abdomen. (It has since been returned to his head after a couple months.)
The regaining of previous capabilities will continue to occur over the course of many months and possibly even several years. Zack is relearning to walk. The brain injury has affected his speech, and he has not talked much since the accident. He has also faced and is facing numerous other medical issues (details at Caring Bridge site). But, surgeons, doctors, therapists and nurses all say that the signs both cognitively and physically are still very positive.
