Six years ago, NHL player Marek Svatos was found dead in his home, aged 34.
Now the widow Diana tells us he suffers from CTE.
– I want people to know that the decisions he made were due to illness, not because he was a bad person, she told TSN.
It is already known that Slovak hockey player Marek Svatos – who played more than 300 games in the NHL – died of an overdose. At the autopsy, traces of codeine, morphine and anti-anxiety drugs were found in his body.
Now, six years later, widow Diana has opted out in more detail.
In an interview with TSN, she said it was later established that Marek Svatos suffered from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) brain disease. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is also called “boxer’s dementia” because it occurs after repeated punches or blows to the head.
kept a secret for several years
According to Diana, Marek Svatos had half a dozen documented concussions and at least several surgeries during his eight-year career in the NHL.
She has known about the CTE diagnosis since 2017, but hasn’t shared it yet.
I wanted to make sure my kids were ready before I went out with this, but I want people to know that the decision Marek made was because of illness, not because he was a bad person. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard him say “the light goes out” after he had a concussion. I’ve heard it enough times to remember that specific phrase, she told TSN.
Brain donated
The family chose to donate Marek Svato’s brain for research. Of the total 14 brains of deceased NHL players that were donated for research, CTE was found in 13 of them.
One of the main reasons I want to tell this story is to help other NHL families. I say this with love, but the NHL can do more to help players during and after their careers, says Diana.