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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wants to Donate His Brain to Science After His Death

Inspired by the decision of former players of the Oakland Raiders football team who made the choice to donate their brains for CTE research after they die, Dale Earnhardt Jr. pledges to do the same.
Dale Earnhardt Jr at a press conference in 2008 1 photo
Photo: Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith, National Guard Bureau (RELEASED)
The NASCAR star announced his decision on his official Twitter account, and then he wrote another tweet in which he said he was donating “everything one way or another.

Other Twitter users followed his lead and affirmed that they wanted to be organ donors as well, but Dale seems more determined than others in his decision.

For those of you who have not seen the movie Concussion and have no medical background, CTE means chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This is a condition linked to concussions, and it has long-term implications.

Initially, only people who suffered severe injuries to the head were presumed to be at risk, but the medical world quickly discovered that athletes who wear helmets and get their heads hit can also suffer from this issue.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a perfect candidate for CTE research, as he has suffered multiple concussions over the course of his career. Four years ago, he missed two races because of them, and the implications of these injuries on the long term are still unknown for sportspeople involved in motorsport.

Compared to other injuries sustained by athletes that wear helmets, accidents in motorsport include high speeds and significant G forces. All of these factors have effects on the brain that need to be researched.

If Dale Earnhardt Jr. stays true to his promise and donates his brain to scientists once he passes away (hopefully, not soon), the findings of the subsequent research could help treat others. As in all types of research, discovering something today will only bring benefits a few years from now, so it may actually take some time until scientists conjure the benefits of Dale Jr.’s donation.



Dale Jr. talks about his concussion

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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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