Concussion & CTE Foundation

Concussion & CTE Foundation The Concussion & CTE Foundation's mission is to support athletes, veterans & all affected by brain trauma.

“The CTE diagnosis confirms what my intuition felt...”Warning: This story contains mentions of su***de that may be trigg...
05/30/2026

“The CTE diagnosis confirms what my intuition felt...”

Warning: This story contains mentions of su***de that may be triggering to some readers.

Ryan O’Donoghue was a devoted husband, father, and advocate whose life was defined by service and resilience. A former Academic All-American captain and safety for Georgetown football, he began playing football at age nine and also wrestled throughout his childhood. After college, he moved to Colorado, where he became an avid hiker, mountain biker, and expert skier. As longtime CEO of First Descents, he dedicated his career to supporting young adults impacted by cancer.

In the final years of his life, Ryan experienced troubling changes. He struggled to find words, became increasingly clumsy, and had difficulty making decisions. His wife, Tara, sensed something was wrong, but answers were hard to find. Although he was diagnosed with depression, Ryan believed there was a deeper cause. As his symptoms worsened, he told nearly a dozen doctors that he felt he was suffering from dementia. His family says Ryan was not taken seriously.

Ryan died by su***de on May 9, 2025. After his death, researchers at the BU CTE Center diagnosed him with stage 3 CTE. By sharing Ryan’s story, Tara hopes to raise awareness of the disease and help other families facing similar struggles.

Read her interview with The Colorado Sun: https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/15/first-descents-ryan-odonoghue-su***de-cte-brain-disease/

Read Tara’s moving essay on life with Ryan, her search for answers, and her mission to raise awareness about CTE.
https://www.lov.yoga/lov-notes/american-dream

Anyone experiencing suicidal ideation should seek the help of mental health professionals. Those who are worried about a friend or a loved one who may be suicidal should know there are resources available to support them. The 988 Lifeline is available 24/7 by phone or text at 988.

If you or a loved one are concerned about symptoms of CTE, reach out to our free HelpLine for help finding doctors, peer support, and other resources. To submit a request, visit ConcussionAndCTE.org/HelpLine.

Great views, great people! We were honored to join Legacy Family members and Bay Area supporters for last week’s San Fra...
05/29/2026

Great views, great people! We were honored to join Legacy Family members and Bay Area supporters for last week’s San Francisco Race to End CTE Reception.

Thanks to our hosts, California Advisory Board co-chair Justin Brennan and presenting sponsor Capital Group, and our SF event committee for organizing this powerful evening.

Today is the FINAL DAY of the Race to End CTE fundraising competition! Use the link below to make your impact before we cross the finish line.

https://give.concussionandcte.org/give/770861/ #!/donation/checkout

The family of former Boston Bruins enforcer Lyndon "LB" Byers announced his stage 3 CTE diagnosis by researchers at the ...
05/28/2026

The family of former Boston Bruins enforcer Lyndon "LB" Byers announced his stage 3 CTE diagnosis by researchers at the Boston University CTE Center today.

Byers played 10 seasons in the NHL and later became a beloved Boston radio personality on the Greg Hill show on WAAF for more than two decades. In the final years of his life, LB battled severe depression, had episodes of hallucinations, and struggled with short-term memory loss.

Before his death, he pledged to donate his brain to our foundation to help advance scientific understanding of the long-term effects of repetitive impacts in hockey players and to help make the game safer.

The BU CTE Center has diagnosed CTE in 19 of 20 former NHL players studied, yet the NHL still refuses to acknowledge the link between hockey and CTE. Anne Byers called on the NHL to do better to protect its players, saying she will do anything she can to help protect other families from the devastation of CTE.

Hockey players interested in joining clinical research opportunities or pledging to donate their brains to advance the science can sign up for the Concussion & CTE Foundation Research registry at ConcussionAndCTE.org/research.

05/26/2026

If you can’t see it & you haven’t lived it, post-concussion syndrome (PCS) can be hard to understand. .allred puts it in terms everyone can relate to!
Find her on TikTok () for more TBI Awareness content! 💙

We applaud the for formally recognizing CTE as a disease that can cause dementia in its updated global dementia fact sh...
05/21/2026

We applaud the for formally recognizing CTE as a disease that can cause dementia in its updated global dementia fact sheet.

CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is a progressive degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head impacts. For decades, families, patients, researchers, and advocates have fought for recognition of CTE as a serious neurodegenerative condition linked to cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and progressive impairment.

WHO’s acknowledgment marks an important step toward greater global awareness, earlier diagnosis, stronger prevention efforts, and better support for patients and caregivers worldwide.

We hope this recognition will accelerate research investment, improve physician education, reduce stigma surrounding brain disease, and encourage stronger prevention efforts worldwide.

05/21/2026

Former NFL tight end was a team captain at Penn, and he’s taken that same role in the Race to End CTE.

With Team Penn, Brent Novoselsky is supporting CTE research focused on diagnosing and treating the disease in former athletes during life. He’s also a dedicated ambassador for the Penn Alumni HelpLine, connecting his fellow Quakers with our free brain health resources and clinical research opportunities.

We’re grateful to Brent for his efforts with Team Penn and our Chicago Advisory Board.

Where is your school in the Race to End CTE? Check the link below, dedicate your gift, and move your alma mater up the leaderboard. We have 8 days left to reach our $750,000 goal!

https://give.concussionandcte.org/event/race-to-end-cte-2026/e770861

What a weekend at this year’s Cleveland Marathon 5K! 🏁We’re so grateful to everyone from our Legacy Family Community and...
05/19/2026

What a weekend at this year’s Cleveland Marathon 5K! 🏁

We’re so grateful to everyone from our Legacy Family Community and Cleveland Advisory Board who walked with us and all who’ve donated so far to help End CTE through research, education, and prevention.

The Race to End CTE runs thru May 29, so head to the link below to help get us to the finish line and reach our $750,000 goal!
https://give.concussionandcte.org/give/770861/ #!/donation/checkout

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