Hello, my name is Alexander Dwork. My former coach, Paolo Dell Aquila, suffers from Post Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He was a football player, wrestler, and boxer, and is one of my favorite people in the world. Within the past few years, he has shown precursor signs of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).
It has become my mission to help understand how we as a community can improve the quality of life for those suffering from TBI and the pre-cursor signs of CTE.
Currently, I am learning a lot about our medical system and how it treats patients. Paolo was recently dropped from his pain management doctor and it has made it incredibly difficult for him to live comfortably. His pain is at a 10 out of 10, and now we are searching for other ways for him to improve his quality of life. Our goal right now is to get him stronger physically. His mental toughness is incredibly high. Anyone going through a similar situation understands. The pain is extremely high and it is hard to cope some days. We aim to slowly build his strength.
I personally am setting up the groundwork for the organization. We are planning events for this year and the future. One of our ideas is a viewing of the movie Concussion. This event will spread awareness and shed light on the pressing issues that we currently face in the world of athletes, veterans, and the general population. One of the most important things we can do for our suffering loved-ones is to be there for them and show them the good and fun things in life. Paolo always has done that for me and now I am doing my best to pass on the kindness. If anyone has any ideas or would like to help, feel free to reach out!
