"I lost my eyesight and the power in my hands and legs" - Donegal footballer on experiencing concussion

Capturing their first Senior Ulster football title last Sunday sparked a sense of renewal for a Donegal side who once shipped an 8-27 to 0-02 defeat to Cork in the championship.

 

But for Róisín McCafferty, the smiles and sense of accomplishment belied memories of tormented days when she was subdued by two concussion traumas in just five years. Throughout those injuries, the physio student suffered a ten week absence from school, endured intermittent visits to the hospital and could barely walk or talk.

 

Although she has regained full mobility she still reflects on the nightmare which followed, after a collision during a training game at just 18 years of age.

 

"I was absolutely fine when it happened," she begins "and I passed all the (concussion) checks. But then I got a bit dizzy driving home so I just got one of the girls to drive my car and I came home and it all just spiralled from there really."

 

Róisín presented to casualty that night but was discharged the following day with little to no recovery advice. Consequently, Róisín’s condition deteriorated.

 

"I lost my eyesight and the power in my hands and legs. I was doing my Leaving Cert that year but I couldn’t concentrate for more than twenty minutes at a time because I’d have to go to sleep. My mother had to bring me to the toilet and everything so it was pretty scary.

 

"It wasn’t handled very well, I suppose the dangers of concussion weren’t known. Doctors just told me to take it easy for a while."

 

2010 was a successful year for Donegal. They triumphed in the Division Two League, the Ulster Intermediate final and the All-Ireland final. But despite feeling unwell, Róisín was intent on playing her part.

 

"Looking back now I know how stupid it was and I even played the week before my Leaving Cert. I hated being on the sideline and I was just very stubborn. I didn’t want the concussion controlling me, I wanted to control it because it had kept me out for so long," says Roisin.

 

More recently, Róisín suffered a second concussion after being struck on the temple while playing soccer. But unlike the first incident, she can’t recall what happened this time.

 

"I was in and out of consciousness after it happened and I just thought I was going to die. They ordered a brain scan the next week and it came back clear but I struggled a lot with reading and looking at the computer."

 

Unperturbed by the return of concussion however, ‘sports mad’ Róisín was determined to resume playing football. Crucially, she undertook a graduated return-to-play procedure in pursuit of that goal.

 

"I just did light training at the start and gradually brought in the contact. Concussion can be really serious especially second impact syndrome which is something people don’t really know about. It’s so easy for people to get a knock and think nothing of it but it can be fatal if they get hit again."

 

Róisín continues to thrive in sport and often commutes home from England in order to play football. However, considering the fatal outcome she narrowly evaded, it’s an inconvenience she’s happy to inherit.

 

"The experience has really made me appreciate the small things. I’m very lucky that I can even go out to play football and if my story can help anyone else, I feel like I’ve done something."