In 2002 Dr. Omalu discovered the
presence of degenerative disease in the brain of National Football League (NFL)
player Mike Webster. He named the brain disease chronic traumatic
encephalopathy, known as CTE. His discovery has proven to be a powerful pebble
that has generated waves throughout the troubled waters of youth, college and
professional football, as well as other contact sports.
Dr. Omalu was portrayed by Will
Smith in the 2015 film Concussion, based on his book of the same name. Prior to
that, he was prominently featured in the public affairs television program Frontline and in the book, League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and
the Battle for Truth.
Although the focus of the head
injury forum was to raise awareness to protect school-aged athletes from
concussions, Dr. Omalu transcended his role as a forensic scientist, inspiring
an audience of several hundred people with his deep faith and fortitude.
He began his remarks by recalling
that he was born in war-torn Nigeria and describing how he suffered as a child
from malnutrition. He revealed that, "Because of the consequences of war,
I became a weakling and introvert who was ridiculed."
The turning point in his life came,
he remembered, when he realized that "with knowledge you can do all
things." This realization ignited what became a lifetime thirst for
learning and quest for truth. In fact, he has earned eight degrees and
certifications.
Omalu explained that both science
and faith seek truth. The role of faith, he said, "is the manifestation of
things we do not see," which was the case with Mike Webster and the rest
of the world. Dr. Omalu said that it was his deep faith in humanity that led
him to wonder about the cause of Webster's destitution, deterioration and
death, and, to "speak" to Webster's spirit during the autopsy.
"Whatever happens to the least
of us happens to all of us," he told the rapt audience in Hauppauge; and,
"what we do for the least of us, we do for all of us." And, so began
his spiritual relationship with the deceased Mike Webster.
Omalu has faced enormous obstacles
as a scientist. He shared that he was smeared by National Institute of Health which
said he was not a reputable doctor. And he was also defamed by the NFL that did
all they could to stonewall his discovery and disassociate the notion that
repeated blows to the head were the cause of a degenerative brain disease that
led to the premature deaths, including suicides, of scores of former players
and counting.
Dr. Omalu spoke to the challenge of
working in a context of "conformational intelligence" which he
explained as when one's "mind conforms to the expectations of
society" and not necessarily truth. "How does conformational
intelligence hold down a society?" he asked.
Omalu—who portrayed himself as an
"outlier," someone who operates outside of the box—concluded his
remarks by stating, "One person can ignite a fire that can light the
entire forest."
We owe Dr. Omalu a debt of
gratitude for his discovery and for his quest for truth, against all odds.
We must demand that those in power
in youth, interscholastic and intercollegiate sports protect our children; and
we must help our children, from an early age, to think critically and to
develop the good sense and courage, without shame, to speak the truth and break
the silence.
https://longislandweekly.com/one-person-can-ignite-fire-can-light-entire-forest/
Bio: Andrew Malekoff is the Executive Director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, which provides comprehensive mental health services for children from birth through 24 and their families. To find out more, visit www.northshorechildguidance.org.
Bio: Andrew Malekoff is the Executive Director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, which provides comprehensive mental health services for children from birth through 24 and their families. To find out more, visit www.northshorechildguidance.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment