ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. (WFLA) — Bruce Parkman hugged and kissed his teenager goodbye before he headed to football practice with no hint it would be the last time he would see him alive.
In a 39-second video posted on social media, Maconnell “Mac” Parkman revealed a painful secret he had hidden from his family.
“And so, I’m done,” the high school senior explained. “Schizophrenia for about two years, give or take. Depression for about three. And I’m just done.”
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Parkman was 17 and within seconds of posting the video in September 2020, he jumped to his death from Pulpit Rock in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“He took 39 steps in seven seconds and launched himself off that cliff, and I just saw him. I hugged him, kissed him on his cheek,” Parkman said, fighting back tears. “And if I could go back, it would be a lot different but I didn’t have a clue.”
Mac Parkman had played football, hockey and rugby for years and also had dealt with the bumps and bruises of snowboarding.
Parkman’s brain was donated to the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center for further examination. His father said damage was found in the “white matter” of Mac’s brain that researchers said was consistent with issues found in professional athletes.
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More research revealed something else Parkman did not realize about contact sports. The potential damage is not only about noticeable concussions. The daily grind of contact, the smaller hits, can add up to big problems.
“It’s those hits combined with a lack of rest that produce damage that over time becomes irreversible,” Parkman said. “The brain will be damaged and that leads to mental health problems as an adult.”
Parkman said his son had three concussions as a young athlete, but now he believes he had several others that were not diagnosed. Plus, he said his son was involved in countless other contact incidents during games and practice.
Parkman donated $250,000 to the CTE Center and set up the Mac Parkman Foundation For Adolescent Concussive Trauma to research the issue and raise awareness for parents and young athletes.
“They need to know,” Parkman said. “I didn’t know. I play rugby and other contact sports. I’ve had concussions. I’ve been knocked out. But I didn’t know what this could do.”
He learned one symptom of potential brain damage is apathy. In retrospect, he realized there were indications of that from his son.
“For parents of teenagers, you sort of think that is because of their age,” Parkman said. “But apathy is a sign other parents [of athletes] need to pay attention to.”
The long game for Parkman is changing the rules to restrict contact sports until the athlete is at least 14 years old.
“We still need to be careful at that age. They should not play year-round,” Parkman said. “One type of contact sport a year, with different rules that limit the collisions.”
While making sweeping changes might take time, Parkman hopes the information learned from his son’s death will help others make better decisions about contact sports.
“I am just appalled that I did not know my son was hurting and I couldn’t help him,” Parkman said. “This mission that I’ve been left with means everything to me. I just want to learn from my mistakes and help others not repeat them.”
If you or a loved one are experiencing thoughts of suicide, call the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay by dialing 211. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline can be reached at 800-273-8255.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
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