A world where the risks of Repetitive Brain Trauma are understood and leveraged to improve brain health to reduce mental illness, violence and suicide.

The Mac Parkman Foundation is committed to raising awareness on the impact that Repeated Head Impacts (RHI) and Repeated Blast Exposure (RBE) have on the brain and mental health of children, athletes and veterans.

We aim to improve societal brain health by promoting education, early diagnosis, and innovative treatments to reduce and mitigate the long-term effects of subconcussive trauma to include mental illness and suicidality while promoting brain health as a priority for medical as well as psychological education and care.

Through advocacy and community engagement with parental, scientific, medical, psychological, sports and legislative communities as well as non-profit organizations focused on brain and mental health, we strive to create a safer environment in sports and military service, improving treatment for those athletes and veterans affected, and to ensure a healthier future for all.

On September 24th, 2020, our son, brother, and friend, Maconnell (Mac) Parkman took his life after fighting mental health issues that were related to a series of three known concussions he sustained in wrestling, football, and other concussive activities such as snowboarding in his freshman and sophomore years. After each concussive incident, they cleared Mac to return to the sports he loved but continued to suffer from what something now known as sub-concussive trauma through continued participation games and physical activities. As football and wrestling are back-to-back, long-season sports, Mac was taking part in activities that were unknowingly affecting his brain for almost 10 months a year. The continued exposure to sub-concussive trauma prevented the proper healing process necessary for a developing adolescent brain and led to the development of mental health issues, such as depression and possible severe psychosis which Mac decided to bravely hide from his family, coaches, and friends to shield them from sharing his pain. As the pain and anguished increased, Mac continued to fight bravely until his mental anguish resulting him in deciding to leave this life behind.

Today, millions of young Americans like Mac undergo concussions, primarily through participation in sport-related activities. While most of the focus regarding sports concussions focuses on the “acute” or sideline related protocols, they place little or no attention on the long-term follow-up of concussed athletes, particularly those with two or more concussions or multi-sport athletes. The resulting knowledge gap in the long-term impact of sports-related concussive and sub-concussive trauma to the adolescent brain prevents parents, coaches, athletic trainers, and medical practitioners from making informed decisions regarding sports participation, providing long-term follow-up evaluations and is contributing to the increasing amount of American athletes with hidden or identified psychological disorders that can lead to serious self-harm, aggression, and even suicide.