Multiple reports indicate that Graham Eadie, a former Manly Sea Eagles player, was hospitalized following two seizures. He is currently being treated at a Gold Coast hospital, where medical staff are addressing his confusion, weakness, and low oxygen levels. According to reports, Larry Corowa described having coffee with Eadie and other former teammates before the seizures occurred, noting that Eadie seemed to be okay at the time.
Eadie's current medical prognosis remains unclear, and the specific treatments being administered have not been disclosed. Eadie was diagnosed with CTE last year, a neurodegenerative disease associated with repeated head impacts. He also suffered a life-threatening stroke in April last year while battling bacterial meningitis.
According to reports, Graham Eadie described the impact of his condition, stating that it can cause memory lapses and that other former players have faced similar issues before their deaths. In a related case, Steve McMichael, a former Chicago Bears player, was diagnosed with CTE a year after his death. McMichael died on April 23 last year at age 67 after a five-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
His wife, Misty McMichael, donated his brain to research, aiming to inspire new studies into the link between ALS and CTE. Scientific research highlights a connection between CTE and ALS. CTE can only be diagnosed after death.
A 2021 study by the Harvard Medical School and the Boston University CTE Center found that NFL players are more than four times more likely to develop ALS than other men. Dr. Ann McKee, director of the Boston University CTE Center, said about 6% of individuals with CTE in the brain bank also have ALS.
Shane Christie, a former rugby player associated with New Zealand Rugby, was officially diagnosed with CTE by a pathologist at the University of Auckland's brain bank last week. According to reports, concussions ended Christie's playing career, leading him to transition to coaching. His most serious concussion occurred in 2016, after which his eyes were rolling to the back of his head and he had difficulty breathing.
The exact cause of Christie's death has not been officially confirmed, but multiple reports indicate he reportedly took his own life after a nine-year mental health decline. According to reports, he was selling his house to pay for treatment in America to try and get his head right. His death came just two years after his close friend and former teammate Billy Guyton also died of a suspected suicide.