Katherine Snedaker says she has had 20 concussions, the first three decades ago from a car accident when she was 16. But it wasn't until her son suffered a series of concussions in the sixth grade, around 2008, that she felt compelled to learn all she could about head injuries to help him recover. During her journey of learning, she has become a nationally known advocate for better research, medical care, and support for girls and women with brain injuries, including concussions, AP reported. She founded her nonprofit advocacy group PINK Concussions in 2013 in response to what she discovered was a lack of information and research on female concussions. She formed the group during a yearlong medical leave to treat breast cancer and while rebuilding her home, damaged by Superstorm Sandy. Some studies show females suffer more concussions than males when playing similar sports. Doctors agree more research is needed on any gender differences and whether women experience more severe symptoms or take longer to recover. Most research has focused on men, especially dozens of former football players who died from a degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions.
