Ethan Ballance had suffered concussions before, but his latest – a hard hit during a high school football game – left him forgetful and unfocused. The 16-year-old found himself struggling with light sensitivity and headaches. Most of all, he was having a really hard time getting to sleep, says mom, Cindy.
Ethan is an active, sports loving teenage with a history of bad bumps, a history entwined with the Alberta Children’s Hospital. At four he suffered a serious liver injury that proved nearly fatal. Cindy credits the expertise of the Alberta Children’s Hospital for saving her son’s life. Since then he’s suffered concussions from skiing, longboarding and football.
When the symptoms started affecting his sleep, he found help at the Calgary Childhood Complex Concussion Clinic at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. There he learned a cognitive-behavioural therapy that’s effective in teens with post-concussive symptoms and insomnia. Ethan learned about healthier sleeping habits, structured days, better eating and reduced screen-time, all of which have shown to improve outcomes for kids with insomnia caused by concussion. The clinic would track his progress at follow-up appointments, and with these tactics his sleep is steadily improving.
Mom is grateful for the support from Alberta Children’s Hospital. With its resources, world-class expertise and research, mom feels he is on the road to recovery. It has been a struggle but mom says knowing the hospital is there to support them in every way makes it easier.