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'I'm definitely thankful:' Maine athlete says serious concussion threatened his future

Shane St. Pierre is hoping his story makes parents and athletes think twice before hitting the field.

HARTFORD, Maine — Shane St. Pierre was just minutes into a semifinal soccer game when a chance at scoring a goal changed his life.

“The only thing between me and that goal was the goalie,” St. Pierre said.

The Buckfield High senior said he collided with the goalie and collapsed during a game against North Yarmouth Academy in October.

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"It's almost like physically feeling your memory and your thoughts leave your head,” he said.

Shane’s dad, who is also an EMT, said he rushed out of the stands and onto the field. Norm St. Pierre said he heard the collision and immediately feared the worst.

"You just don't know how to react to it. You're just in shock,” Norm St. Pierre said. 

An ambulance brought Shane to a nearby hospital where he was treated for a serious concussion.

“It was definitely a scary time. When I wake up and he's the only one holding my head and he's the only one that knew what to do."

Nearly five months after that game, Shane is still feeling some of the effects and working to fully recover. 

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He said he has had several relapses and struggled to focus in school as he nears graduation.

The St. Pierre family believes parents and athletes need to understand that actions on the field can have serious consequences.

Officials at North Yarmouth Academy said their athletes are held to “high standers” and denied any foul play. 

“Our sympathy and concern are with the young man that suffered the concussion and hope that he is continuing to recover from his injury,” Head of School Ben Jackson said in a statement.  “However, any characterization that our players acted in an unsportsmanlike or targeted manner are completely unfounded, unfair and inaccurate.”

There is no evidence to prove malicious activity in the game.

The family said they are moving forward to focus on what they are calling a much larger problem: not all Maine schools are on the same page when it comes to policies and protocols that protect athletes from concussions.

The Maine Dept. of Education does not track the number of concussions Maine athletes receive. However, a Department spokesperson told NEWS CENTER Maine it works with the Maine Concussion Management Institute (MCMI) at Colby College.

Since 2006, nearly 700 concussions were reported to the organization’s HIT Project, according to MCMI. 

Fifty-one of the more than 7,000 schools in Maine have participated in reporting.

“We continue to encourage schools to participate in MCMI projects with incentives for school personnel that help us continue our work,” MCMI Outreach Coordinator, Hannah Willihan, said. “The more schools we are able to enroll in the HIT Project, the more specific and accurate our findings can be.”

Medical professionals say preventing concussions is not as simple as wearing a helmet or protective gear.

A concussion occurs when the brain is actually rattled inside the skull.

"Really the only thing we know that helps prevent concussions is ‘heads-up aware’ play,” Dr. Hoffman said. “We know if somebody is aware of it coming their way, they better brace for it and don't seem to get concussions as frequently as people who are blindsided by the impact "

Most youth under the age of 20 recover in 4-6 weeks, according to Hoffman. 

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"It's the unknown of what's going to happen in the future. Is this going to clear up within the next month to three months? Is it going to be able to go to college?"

Day by day Shane is recovering. He is now able to check out colleges and is looking forward to his class trip. 

Still, he hopes his story will inspire schools officials, parents and athletes do more to make sure what happened to him does not happen to anyone else.

“I’m just thankful,” Shane St. Pierre said.

You can learn more about the Maine Dept. of Education's Concussion Management program here.

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