Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Head games

I should have paid more attention in school so that I could understand some of the things I read. But this happened in Gwinnet County, Georgia, and no one down there can figure it out either. So here's the deal...

Reuben Nsemoh, 16 years old, plays goalie for a soccer team. Recently he suffered the third concussion of his young life during a game. Just in front of the goal, he was kicked in the melon by another player's foot. That happens a lot in soccer, which is called "football" in other nations.


Image result for georgia boy wakes up from coma speaking spanish
It was actually rather serious. Reuben stopped breathing several times as he lay on the ground, and suffered seizures. An ambulance took him to a hospital, and he was in a coma for three days.


And when he woke up...he wasn't able to speak in English! And the only language he spoke was Spanish, which he had never done before!

As time went on, he gradually switched back from Spanish to English.

Nsemoh said that he has a brother who speaks Spanish fluently with his friends, and maybe he overheard their conversations.  But how that translates into his knowing and speaking Spanish is something I don't get (yo no entiendo).

So now that his English is back, Reuben is waiting to get back on the field - but now feels that all soccer goalies should wear helmets.

And any and all neurosurgeons reading this are invited to explain how this could have happened in the first place.  Email me please - I'll be outside banging my head on the deck supports, hoping to learn Arabic.

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