After a nine-year NHL career and two Stanley Cup championships with the Chicago Black Hawks, post-concussion syndrome from traumatic brain injuries forced Daniel Carcillo to retire. According to the CDC, there were 2.87 million traumatic brain injury events in the US that accounted for hospital visits in a recent year. But, the largest demographic suffering from TBI-related depression are not athletes, but rather military veterans, domestic- and child abuse victims, car accident survivors, and the elderly recovering from falls.
Ceo and founder of WesanaHealth, Carcillo is currently working with major universities and researchers to develop evidence-based solutions to health effects from TBI, and has also founded the chapter 5 non-profit to assist athletes to transition to life after sports.
After taking his care into his own hands and trying to get a handle on his health, Carcillo realized there was no standard of care for TBI or the symptoms. Now, WesanaHealth is hoping to create that, as well as gather more data to help those in the future.
"Because there's no standardized care model, it takes people and it takes concussion advocacy organization and mental health organizations, mental illness support, to really continue to talk about these human issues that are derived and then being able to recognize that they are affecting your quality of life, and then being able to move into treatments," he says.
WesanaHealth is also working toward creating a clinical network so they can offer some forms of treatment in the near future. If you're a friend or family member of someone with a TBI, you can help them now. Understanding the person you're talking to and being able to listen, and start conversations regarding their health can be a great help.
"If we can just offer support, and let people know that they're there in the darkest times, we're hopeful that they'll be able to reach out," says Carcillo. "Once I asked for help is when my recovery journey started."
For more information on how to help or where to find care, you can go to https://www.wesanahealth.com/
