Local Jefferson County Student Suffers Severe Memory Loss after Brain Injury

Although often lumped into the "football jock" category, Nick Morton no longer is able to play his dream sport but has found a new passion in music. Thirteen year old Nick was a player that earned the starting position on offense and defense and made key contributions in the playoff game when a traumatic brain injury sent him to the emergency room after symptoms of a concussion appeared in the middle of a game. After a recorded sack, forced fumble, multiple tackles, and pass deflections on October 23, 2010, Nick began to hold the side of his head, and when asked what was wrong he could only mutter, "Cornerback." His parents left the field that day headed for the hospital beginning three months of frightening diagnoses.

After an initial CT scan revealed no signs of bleeding on the brain, Nick was diagnosed with a mild concussion. It was the days that followed that Nick’s more severe symptoms surfaced leading the family to visit a neurologist at Children’s Medical Center. Slurred speech and significant memory loss set in. Nick asked his father one evening, "What are all the bright dots and the round ball in the sky?" His father was petrified by the fact that his son had no recollection of the stars and the moon. His memory loss resided much deeper than that. Nick, who was known in the neighborhood as "a fish in the water," didn’t know what the big green square in the backyard was. He had lost all remembrance of his summer days swimming with his friends and family in their pool with the green cover. "If I jump off the diving board will I hit the ground?" he questioned his father on his first day back in the water just weeks ago. His mother and friends of the family watched in tears as his father stood guarded in the deep end with floaters just in case his fears became reality. After reassurance by his parents, Nick put all fears aside and jumped back in the pool. With hesitation Nick spent the next hour in the shallow end while the other kids dove off the diving board and swam effortlessly.

As the days and weeks passed after Nick’s initial diagnosis, he showed signs of no longer remembering his family members, classmates, teammates, neighbors, and friends. When asked where he wanted to go out to dinner he sobbed as he didn’t remember what restaurants existed in his town. His math skills disintegrated from 8th grade algebra to simple addition. He spoke in monotone and had limited eye contact. Without the opportunity to play video games, play sports, and act like a normal thirteen year old, Nick found himself waiting for his father to come home from work to play paper football and cards. This once active teenager was now home-schooled. With instructions from the neurologist to "rest his brain," Nick turned to music for stimulation.

Nick’s parents had to tell him not about his long standing appreciation for music, but instead they had to retell the stories to him about the concerts that he attended and his "brush with fame." He had his picture taken with Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, and Green Day’s drummer Tre Cool’s high fived him at a concert and gave his drumsticks to Nick. Nothing was more impressive to Nick as a then twelve year old than a wink and smile from Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day. Now that memory and so many others are gone.
Nick always had a natural appreciation for music, however, before his injury his ability to play the guitar was not so natural. His parents invested in music lessons at the local Ellsworth Music School in Charles Town, WV and watched their son struggle to simply finish one song after weeks of practice. Without the heart to tell him that playing the guitar may not be in his future they continued to fund his hopes of polishing up before the season’s recital. Sadly, the recital never came to pass for Nick.

Following Nick’s diagnoses and throughout his homeschooling, Nick turned back to playing his old guitar to escape from the confusion in his head. It wasn’t long before his parents noticed a difference in his ability. Nick could now play any song he wanted by ear. Practicing day after day he built a repertoire of songs he could play including songs by Green Day, Nirvana, and eventually his own original creations. After rebuilding a friendship with a nearby neighbor, Tristan Miller, the pair began to share the dream of performing their talents for a live audience and created a band known as "Confused State." With an unwavering commitment to perfecting their passion, Nick and Tristan performed live for the local Charles Town Library book fair fundraiser as well as a veteran food drive fundraiser known as The Event in Falling Waters, WV. These two musically driven teens are persistent in pressing forward in the industry of music and continue to play at local events to spread the word of Nick’s injury and share their love for music.

The cause of Nick’s concussion is still uncertain. There were signs leading up to that October day which revealed an onset of his traumatic injury. He had suffered a fall only days before tripping over their newest and friskiest family puppy causing his head to impact the door frame in his bedroom. He complained of a headache, but did not remember the fall, and was given ibuprofen to subside the pain. Later that day Nick attended football practice showing no signs of a headache or discomfort. Following along with his fellow teammates in the oppressive heat, he removed his helmet for the remainder of practice leading up to the upcoming playoff game. Nick’s parents rethink those few short days often wondering if they had missed the signs of the onset of Nick’s life-altering prognosis. Together they have chosen to instead share Nick’s story and continue to provide him with the care he needs to eventually regain the many lost memories of his first thirteen years of life.

After months of recovery, CT scans, MRI’s, and EKG’s Nick has passed all neurological tests proving no swelling or bleeding of the brain, only lost memories. Nick has returned to school accomplishing all A’s and B’s. He has retained all memories and education since the concussion. His neurologist believes that the lost memories will return in time. Until then, Nick continues to take each day and each challenge as a chance to "jump back in the pool." Without the love and support of Nick’s family and friends, regaining his memory would not be nearly as progressive. Nick remains under the doctor’s care and is closely monitored for memory loss. He now enjoys pool parties at their home in Charles Town and continues to attend public school.

For additional information about this article email author Rachel Miller at torchkutz@yahoo.com. Visit www.Facebook.com/ConfusedState to stay up to date on Nick’s progress in music.