Overview
Snowboarder Kevin Pearce was a top-ranked halfpipe rider and considered one of the top snowboarders coming into the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. However, while he was preparing to qualify for the United States Olympic team, he sustained a traumatic brain injury after hitting his head during a halfpipe training run.
Pearce sustained a catastrophic brain injury while training in the halfpipe at Park City, Utah. Although Pearce was wearing a helmet, it was not able to prevent his brain injury. However, the helmet was credited for saving his life.
The sides of halfpipes can rise up to 22 feet in the air with the riders flying higher than that because of the momentum that the riders attain. Pearce was completing a cab double cork (a twisting double back flip) when he caught his board on the edge of the halfpipe. He hit his head just above his eye and was knocked unconscious.
He was immediately transported to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe traumatic brain injury. He was initially treated in an intensive care unit and was listed in critical condition. Because of the brain’s capacity to heal, Pearce has been able to make steady progress and has recently been moved to a long term rehabilitation center.
What is traumatic brain injury (TBI)?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.5 million people suffer from TBI every year. Of those who suffer an acute TBI, 50,000 die and the rest suffer from long term disabilities.
Traumatic brain injury occurs when the brain has been injured. According to experts, no two brain injuries are alike meaning that the consequences of similar brain injuries may differ remarkably. Some individuals recover fully functional ability while others may need long term care.
Pearce sustained a catastrophic brain injury while training in the halfpipe at Park City, Utah. Although Pearce was wearing a helmet, it was not able to prevent his brain injury. However, the helmet was credited for saving his life.
The sides of halfpipes can rise up to 22 feet in the air with the riders flying higher than that because of the momentum that the riders attain. Pearce was completing a cab double cork (a twisting double back flip) when he caught his board on the edge of the halfpipe. He hit his head just above his eye and was knocked unconscious.
He was immediately transported to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe traumatic brain injury. He was initially treated in an intensive care unit and was listed in critical condition. Because of the brain’s capacity to heal, Pearce has been able to make steady progress and has recently been moved to a long term rehabilitation center.
What is traumatic brain injury (TBI)?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.5 million people suffer from TBI every year. Of those who suffer an acute TBI, 50,000 die and the rest suffer from long term disabilities.
Traumatic brain injury occurs when the brain has been injured. According to experts, no two brain injuries are alike meaning that the consequences of similar brain injuries may differ remarkably. Some individuals recover fully functional ability while others may need long term care.
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