>>
>> HE
>> HE CHANGED A LOT. >> HE WAS VERY EXPLOSIVE.
HIS TEMPER WAS OUTRAGEOUS.
HIS BEHAVIOR WAS BAD.
>> HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE
USUAL SUSPECTS, PTSD AND
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, BUT
DENIED HE HAD A TRAUMATIC BRAIN
INJURY.
INJURY.
INJURY. >> THEY NEVER WOULD DIAGNOSE
US.
US.
US. >>
US. >> THEN HE COLLAPSED AFTER A
ROUTINE TACKLE AND FELL INTO A
COMA FOR A MONTH.
OVER THE NEXT 3 YEARS, HE WAS
UNABLE TO CARE FOR HIMSELF,
BATTLING COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION
AND MEMORY LOSS AND EVEN
BLINDNESS.
BLINDNESS. >> HE ULTIMATELY PASSED AWAY IN
HOSPICE CARE AT THE VA IN
MINNEAPOLIS.
MINNEAPOLIS. >> SHE WANTED ANSWERS THAT
DOCTORS CAN SEEM TO GIVE.
>> SHE DONATED HIS BRAIN TO
BOSTON UNIVERSITY, THE SAME
CENTER THAT DOCUMENTS SERIOUS
BRAIN INJURY AND DISEASE IN
FOOTBALL PLAYERS.
FOOTBALL PLAYERS. SUBJECTED TO YEARS OF BIG HITS.
THEY CALLED HER WITH FINDINGS.
>> I ASKED IF HE HAD CTE, AND
SHE SAID OH, YES.
>> CHRONIC TRAUMATIC
ENCEPHALOPATHY CAUSED BY
REPEATED BRAIN INJURIES IS
SIGNIFICANT.
SIGNIFICANT. DOCTOR LEE GOLDSTEIN IS THE
DIRECTOR OF THE TRAUMA
LABORATORY.
LABORATORY. >> THE NUMBER OF MILITARY
SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE
THESE EXPOSURES ARE
STAGGERINGLY LARGE.
STAGGERINGLY LARGE. THIS IS NOT A SMALL PROBLEM.
>> ONE BLESSED EXPOSURE CAUSES
NUMEROUS BRAIN INJURIES AND
FEARS THE RISK COULD BE HIGHER
IF REPEATED BLAST COME CLOSE
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. >> YOU HAVE ONE OF THOSE WHERE
YOU HAVE MULTIPLE INJURIES ALL
AT ONCE AND THEN ANOTHER A WEEK
OR TWO LATER, NOT GOOD.
NOT GOOD AT ALL.
>> Reporter: JUST LIKE FOOTBALL,
LIMITING BLOWS TO A PLAYER'S
HEAD, HIS CASE CLEARLY SHOWS
THE MILITARY NEEDS TO BETTER
TRACK AND LIMIT THE REPEATED
EXPOSURE TO BLASTS, EVEN IF IT
MEANS PULLING A HEALTHY LOOKING
SOLDIER OUT OF THE FIELD.
>> THIS IS REAL.
IT HAS REAL CONSEQUENCES.
WE NEED TO TAKE THIS ISSUE VERY
SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE OTHERWISE,
PEOPLE GET WORSE, AND THEY DIE.
>> IT IS THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT
HIS FINAL ACT OF SERVICE COULD
PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT SAVES
OTHER SOLDIERS AND HAS HIS
MOTHER BOWING TO TELL HIS STORY
TO ALL WHO WILL LISTEN.
>> HE WAS ALWAYS THE ONE TO
LEAD THE WAY.
HE HAS ONE MORE CHANCE TO DO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF
REACTION TO THE STORY.
TONIGHT, WE HAVE AN UPDATE.
>> JOY TELLS US HER MISSION IS
TO HELP HER SON'S LEGACY OF
SERVICE LIVE ON THROUGH THE
SEARCH FOR EARLIER DIAGNOSIS
AND TREATMENTS FOR CTE.
SHE HAS PARTNERED WITH THE
CONCUSSION LEGACY FOUNDATION TO
RAISE AWARENESS AND ENCOURAGE
OTHER MILITARY MEMBERS TO PLEDGE
THEIR BRAIN TO ACCELERATE