As a brain injury rehabilitation therapist, some days it can be simply painful to read the news.  Today was one of those days.  Sometimes, the media seems incapable of appreciating the seriousness of brain injuries and willful in its disregard for the importance of conveying  to the public the reasonable actions necessary to prevent those injuries.  Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player in the history of basketball, decided to go jet skiing.  Being a smart man, Jordan wore a protective helmet.  It was not worn for fashion but for function.  For some reason, Pete Blackburn of Uproxx (as posted on Yahoo), decided to make fun of Jordan for wearing the helmet.  This is the offending article:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/michael-jordan-giving-us-magnificent-175458823.html

The article is just silly and encourages poor safety awareness.  The fact is that people do get brain injuries and even die in jet ski accidents.   Jordan was entirely correct in his decision to wear a helmet.  To put this issue in perspective, I would like to provide a few examples of people who have suffered brain injuries while jet skiing.

Duke University football player Blair Holliday nearly died due to a traumatic brain injury sustained in a jet ski accident (http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2016/05/definitely-a-miracle-former-duke-football-wide-receiver-blair-holliday-earns-degree-after-suffering-traumatic-brain-injury-in-july-2012).

Lisa Votaw suffered a brain injury in Minnesota when the jet ski she was riding flipped over (http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/2016/06/fergus-falls-woman-injured-in-jet-ski-accident/).

Firefighter Mike Yurchak of Pennsylvania also suffered a serious brain injury in a jet ski accident (http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/mohnton-firefighter-in-coma-after-jet-ski-accident-in-maryland).

Similarly, this past January a woman in Miami received a brain injury when she was involved in a collision of two jet skis (http://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/01/31/woman-hospitalized-after-jet-ski-accident-on-miami-beach/).

Jordan should be appreciated, not lambasted, for taking reasonable precautions by wearing a helmet on a jet ski.  There are already enough injuries out there.  We do not need to discourage anyone from being safe while having fun.

Learn about the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute’s brain injury treatment services.

Tags:

Similar Articles

American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month!

Keeping your heart healthy is not only excellent advice to prevent heart attacks but also to prevent strokes. The heart is the best known part of the cardiovascular system. The heart takes the blood and pumps...

You Can’t Replace Something with Nothing

Following a brain injury, many survivors use their injury event as an opportunity to make positive life changes.

This may involve commitments of abstinence from alcohol or illicit substances, cessation of dangerous hobbies or reduction of aggressive behaviors. All of these...

Celebrating 40 Years as Leaders in Post-acute Brain Injury Rehabilitation

This year marks Moody Neuro’s 40th anniversary of providing breakthroughs in brain injuries! We are very grateful to everyone for their continuous support over the past 40 years. Moody Neuro has helped hundreds of patients and we look forward to...
© 2023 Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute
Back to Top