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43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 12, 2004 After injury, parents face dilemma By DON HUNT Mail Tribune ASHLAND — JoNel and Vince Aleccia heaved a sigh of relief when their son finished his high school football career last Friday at Ashland High. Fourteen months earlier, on Sept. 5, 2003, Alex Aleccia suffered a severe concussion after throwing a block during a game against Pleasant Valley, Calif. After collapsing on the sideline, the younger Aleccia lost consciousness. He temporarily stopped breathing in an ambulance on the way to Providence Medford Medical Center. Once there, he began throwing up in the emergency room. Alex spent the night in the intensive care unit and eventually recovered, but not before blood had spilled between his skull and brain. He missed a month of school fighting headaches and nausea while the blood slowly absorbed into his body. One might think that such a severe head injury would scare a kid into retirement, but Alex Aleccia loves every aspect of football, from the blocking and tackling on the field to the camaraderie in the locker room to the bus trips around Southern Oregon. Advertisement "The day after the injury, he said, ‘Mom, I could have died, couldn’t I?’" says JoNel Aleccia, a reporter at the Mail Tribune. "But that feeling didn’t stick with him very long." JoNel and her husband, Vince, an English teacher at North Medford, did considerable research on concussions. They consulted not only Jeff Louie, the Medford neurologist who had treated Alex on the night of his injury, but another specialist as well. "They both studied the pictures (X-rays and MRI exams) and said it was a fluke injury," JoNel Aleccia says. After considerable debate and failed attempts to dissuade their son from returning to the gridiron, the parents begrudgingly gave in. Part of the deal was for Alex to obtain a new helmet and mouth guard that are designed to cut down on concussions. "I’m sure there were a lot of parents in Ashland who wondered how in the world we could let him play again," JoNel Aleccia says. "It certainly wasn’t an easy decision, but Alex has such a huge passion for the game. I think the main thing was being with his friends and sharing a common goal. "Ultimately, it got down to a philosophical question: Do you tell your child he can’t do something that he loves, when the doctors are saying it’s OK? "Alex has always been a risk-taker. He asked if he could buy a motorcycle not long ago, and he plans to snowboard this winter. That’s just who he is." Alex Aleccia, an offensive guard and defensive linebacker, made it through the season without incident. He grew from 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds to 6-3, 200 over the past year and spent much of the offseason in the weight room to enhance his strength. He knows he flirted with the grim reaper and returned to the field and teased him some more. He’s grateful to his parents for allowing him to put on the pads for his senior year. "It was amazing, actually, that they let me play, because they’re not football fans," Alex says. "But I had a blast out there. And the guys that I played with, we’ll have a bond for the rest of our lives." JoNel and Vince, meanwhile, aren’t likely to watch another game soon. "The sound of those plastic helmets smashing into each other, that’s something I’ll be glad to get away from," JoNel says. "The dads in the stands love that sound, but every time I hear it, I wince." Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers