Dr Bennet Omalu Case Summary

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INTRODUCTION Moral courage is standing up for something one believes in, even when there are forces who oppose your opinion. In the case of Dr. Bennet Omalu and the discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in football players, the National Football League (NFL) did not want this information presented as it would pose a significant threat to the NFL’s continued success. Dr. Omalu stood by his research conclusions as the NFL worked to discredit him and his medical research. The Beginning Dr. Bennet Omalu was born in September, 1968 in Nnowka, Nigeria in the midst of the Nigerian Civil War. The war caused him and his family to flee and not return to their village, Enugwu-Ukwu, Nigeria for two years. Dr. Omalu’s father was a …show more content…

Omalu issue a retraction of the paper and alluded to the research being a misunderstanding of the medical literature of CTE of boxers (dementia pugilistica). Dr. Omalu and his colleagues drafted a response to the MTBI’s criticisms that stated they would be happy to collaborate with the NFL and the MTBI to develop an optimal research program regarding CTE. Others who also commented on the initial article for the most part backed Dr. Omalu et al in their position that this was the initial case and as stated more research was needed to solidify these findings. Dr. Omalu expressed his great frustration with the MTBI’s response in a later interview, especially regarding the issue that his research did not mention or allude to punch drunk syndrome. Subsequent CTE Research Justin Strzelczyk Justin Strzelczyk was an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers who died in a fiery car crash at the age of 36 in 2004. Shortly before Strzelczyk’s death, he began complaining about depression and hearing voices he called ‘the evil ones’. “He was experiencing an apparent breakdown…when, during a 40-mile high-speed chase police chase…his pickup truck collided with a tractor-trailer and exploded, killing him instantly.” Dr. Omalu and a colleague received permission to examine Strezelczyk’s brain for signs of CTE. The examination showed red spots on his brain, or early signs of brain damage which was likely caused by persistent head trauma Strzelczyk sustained while playing football. Other doctors confirmed Dr. Omalu’s findings in this case. Terry

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