Everything is bigger in Texas, including efforts to study brain injuries in young athletes. The state, in partnership with University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, announced the launch of a study yesterday that will track every brain injury suffered by Texas’ more than 800,000 public high school athletes in over 20 sports. It will be the largest statewide study of its kind.
The project comes as pressure increases to confront youth football’s underestimated role in long-term brain damage, partially sparked by a recent wrongful death lawsuit filed against Pop Warner. It also comes as a growing body of research shows that brain damage is not restricted to football.
“Until we understand what the frequency of concussions is across the state, or a region of the state, we can’t determine when rule changes, equipment changes or things like recovery programs are really being effective,” Dr. Munro Cullum, a professor of psychiatry, neurology and neurotherapeutics who will lead the study, told the Associated Press.
Scientists have taken few steps to develop treatments for these types of brain injuries, partly because they still don’t understand the scale. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking federal funding for a national database tracking concussions, but meanwhile, the Texas study is a major step toward diagnosing the problem. The University Interscholastic League, the state’s governing body for public high school sports, hopes to use the data to evaluate how rule or equipment changes can improve player safety.
“Right now (concussion data is) a sample that is just a snapshot,” UIL deputy director Jamey Harrison said. “We need to move beyond that.”
News of this study also comes the same week that the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a concussion-related class action settlement between the NFL and more than 20,000 retired players. The settlement will cover medical benefits for players who suffered concussions and related injuries, costing the NFL up to $1 billion. However, some ex-players argued the decision was insufficient because it did not cover the degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and for excluding current retirees who don’t yet have neurological problems.
“We look forward to working … to implement the settlement and provide the important benefits that our retired players and their families have been waiting to receive,” the NFL said in a statement.
Parents of young children get more time with them if they work from home.Photo credit: Canva
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Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.