This is the second in a series of profiles of Meadowdale High School graduates, written by Miranda Gillis, MHS Class of 2015

For Meadowdale High School alumnus Parker Coffey, a couple of nicks and bruises in the game of baseball are to be expected, and are often healed before the next game. In September of 2015, an injury occurred that went far deeper than your average bruise.

Coffey, a freshman catcher at Columbia Basin College, was struck by a fastball going 90 miles an hour. Standing in the left-handed batter’s box, Coffey recounts that he was “facing our hardest- throwing pitcher. He lost control of a fastball coming at my head. I reacted slow and the ball hit me in the back right of my head.”
Coffey had been wearing a helmet of the collegiate standard, but the placement of the blow was the kicker. The ball made contact with both the head and neck, striking at the nape of the neck to the right.

Since it hit the unprotected neck, the now cracked helmet was rendered useless.The shortcoming of the helmet went deeper than the physical crack. This injury left Coffey unable to play the sport he loved— and unable to do even simple tasks.

It is a given that a blow of this magnitude gave Coffey a severe concussion. What is most unfortunate is the side effects of the concussion. Coffey was inflicted with short-term memory loss, constant nausea and a temporary stutter. The injury affected not only his season but also his academic life. “The mass stimulation makes my headaches worse and makes me dizzy,” said Coffey who was forced to drop his English class. Fortunately for Coffey, this injury did not affect his partial scholarship.

After a few weeks of resting at home, Coffey eased back into the school routine by resuming a class, choosing math as it is his strongest subject.

As for his short term memory, it was a struggle coping with not being able to remember the little things in life such as the act of buying groceries. “We had juice on the list and then later at home I freaked out because I thought we forgot it, even though I put it away when we got home.” Coffey also had no recollection of the actual injury itself, only living it through the side effects and others’ recounts of it.

This unfortunate scenario that happened to Coffey— sometimes informally called a “bean ball”— is a rather a common occurrence that is especially prevalent in Major League Baseball. This very scenario was the catalyst for Rawlings to create an S100 Pro-Comp helmet, priced at just under $100, that can withstand a pitch up to 100 MPH.

As of Dec. 2, 2015— the day it was predicted that his side effects would subside— Coffey was fully cleared to resume work outs, practices and games. He is back to a full class load and is embracing the grind. Nearly all of his side effects have gone away. The same cannot be said for the long-term ramifications. Coffey now has to grapple with the sobering fact that while he is temporarily able to partake in what he loves, he is greatly at risk for Parkinson’s disease in later life.

Parkinson’s disease typically occurs around the age of 60, according to the National Institutes of Health, but head trauma such as Coffey’s significantly increases the risk of being susceptible to it at a younger age. Preventative measures such as the Rawlings helmets protect the brain from avoidable trauma, thus decreasing the added risk of premature Parkinson’s due to a head injury.

It goes without saying the Coffey’s injury was a rude awakening. In fact, it compelled him to take action so that the chances of this incident happening to another teammate are scarce. Coffey took to gofundme.com to launch a campaign to raise awareness and funds to prevent injuries such as his. “I do not want what happened to me to go on without taking a stand to educate and help others,” he said.

Coffey set a goal of raising $4,000 to fund 25 to 30 Rawlings s100 Pro-Comp helmets for his team. Donations flooded in from all over the place— ex-teammates, parents who have watched Coffey grow up, even anonymous benefactors.

The campaign has managed to bring in $3,302 to date, but more is needed to provide adequate helmets for everyone. Coffey thanks everyone who donated or contributed even by simply sharing the link. “I just want to make sure all players are enjoying the game they love and not have to worry about getting hurt,” he said.

— By Miranda Gillis