Photo: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty
The family of Olympic cyclist Kelly Catlin say a devastating concussion several months ago may have sparked the symptoms that eventually lead to herapparent suicide.
The athlete’s father Mark Catlin toldPEOPLEthat Kelly’s attitude and behavior took a drastic turn in December, when she suffered a concussion during a cycling race.
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“My wife and I talked to her weekly on the phone and she started to express apathy about cycling, which she’d never done before,” Mark said. “She had a lack of enthusiasm for the Olympic team, for training, for everything in life. We were concerned. She ran herself down. The concussion had a profound impact on her. She had these mental issues and she started to feel trapped.”
Christine told PEOPLE that when she heard from Kelly in an email, her sister wrote that she was having “racing thoughts” and that “her mind wasn’t working the way it used to,” which she thought was Kelly describing her concussion symptoms.
A concussion is a common word used to describe a mild form of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to theCenters for Disease Control.
The injury is common among children age 19 or younger, and between 2001 to 2012, the rate among kids diagnosed with a concussion or TBI from a sports or recreation-related injury more than doubled, according to the CDC.
RELATED VIDEO: NFL committing $100 million in concussion initiative
Typical symptoms match those Kelly described to her family, like difficulty thinking clearly and concentrating, sensitivity to noise or light, dizziness, headaches, blurry vision and changes in sleep patterns.
The study also reportedly found that the risk of suicide was highest within the first six months after initial treatment for a brain injury.
“[Kelly] had such a bright future. She was so multi-talented,” Mark told PEOPLE. “There was so much about life that she enjoyed and this was such a temporary setback that she couldn’t see through. It’s such a loss to the world and a loss to her that she’s gonna miss so many good things. She had so much to look forward to. Now it’s not gonna happen.”
Kelly’s family has opted to donate her brain to Veterans Affairs-Boston University-Concussion Legacy Foundation Brain Bank in order to see if her death was in any way connected to her concussion.
The Bank confirmed the donation toPEOPLE, noting that it received the brain on Tuesday.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “home” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
