A high school senior from Bangor, Maine, has decided that when the time comes, he will donate his brain to science.
Fionn Parker-Cummings is the youngest person to donate his brain to the University of Pittsburgh National Sports Brain Bank. Researchers will check in with him every year for the rest of his life.
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Parker-Cummings said he hopes the contribution will advance traumatic brain injury research to protect players like NFL quarterbacks Drake Maye and Tua Tagovailoa, who have recently suffered concussions.
"To me, it'll, it'll have a place in my heart that I might have a chance of protecting a child, a full grown NFL player or a college student from getting a concussion," Parker-Cummings said. "I don't even need to be known. As long as I can improve science and improve safety, I think it'll be fine in my heart. I'm cool with that."
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Parker-Cummings fell in love with the game at an early age, even though his father is a neuroscientist. Dr. Peter Cummings is a former Boston University professor and a staffer with Massachusetts' Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
"I think the significance of his donation is, for me as a parent, mind-blowing," Cummings said. "As a neuroscientist, it's also mind-blowing to have somebody so young thinking about that."
Concussions impact the brain's ability to send messages properly, according to Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, chief of brain injury rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School.
Since every brain is different, Daneshvar said every concussion can look different, so athletes should consult with medical experts when they experience symptoms like headaches, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, changes in sleep or cognitive function.
"They're invisible injuries," Daneshvar said. "Unless you talk to somebody, you're not going to see those symptoms. That's why it's so important for athletes to speak up and advocate for themselves."
Experts say more research needs to be done to fully understand the long-term effects of repetitive concussions, but that work wouldn't be possible without donors like Parker-Cummings.
The wide receiver wrote an op-ed about his decision, including the following excerpt:
- It's hard to believe it's been ten years since I first picked up a football, my heart filled with dreams of touchdowns and Super Bowls. Football has shaped who I am, teaching me about winning, losing, perseverance, and teamwork. Now, as a high school senior facing the possibility that my playing days are over, I’m reflecting on what this journey has meant—and the lasting impact I hope to have made.
Over the past decade, I've had moments I'll carry with me forever — national competitions, championship victories, and the thrill of competing with athletes from all over the world. But there have also been dark moments filled with tears and self-doubt, times when I questioned my abilities and wondered if I could keep going. Through all those challenges, I've learned that football is as much about resiliency as it is about skill.
A desire to leave football better than I found it has replaced my fear of the unknown with optimism. My brain donation is an expression of that desire and optimism.
I may not become a household name like Tom Brady, but that's okay. If, someday, a kid plays football and finds a path to a better life, then I've made a difference. I'm proud to have had the privilege to play this game and to have fought alongside my teammates on and off the field. No matter what the future holds, I'll always be a football player at heart. My body may leave the field, but the impact of my advocacy and my brain donation will endure — that, more than any touchdown or victory, is the legacy I want to leave.
As I reflect on this decade of football, I find peace knowing that whatever comes next, my journey has been worth it.
