Family say Pozzobon was suffering from concussions, depression when he died

Meghan Potkins, Calgary Herald

Vicki Hall, Postmedia

Published on: January 12, 2017 | Last Updated: January 12, 2017 12:11 PM MST


Ty Pozzobon takes a victory lap during the Calgary Stampede rodeo on July 9, 2014. PHOTO BY AL CHAREST /Postmedia Network

The family of a young bull rider who took his own life are taking comfort from the fact that Ty Pozzobon’s brain and medical. history could one day help other athletes and families dealing with traumatic brain injury. ... The 25-year-old was found at his Merritt, B.C., home Monday morning by his mother and a family friend in circumstances investigators are calling non-suspicious. ... Family have since confirmed Pozzobon was suffering the effects of a number of concussions and was grappling with depression.

“It came as a shock to everybody simply because although the family knew he was suffering depression and anxiety, he was still moving forward day-to-day, making plans, making coffee dates, signing contracts,” said family friend Gail Joe, who was present when Pozzobon was found Monday. ... “(Then) it all came tumbling down.”

Pozzobon was a decorated cowboy, the 2016 Professional Bull Riders Canada champion and four-time PBR world finalist. While he’d been suffering from the effects of a number of concussions in recent years, his family says he had been seeking medical treatment with a family doctor. ... “It’s important that people know about the implications of head injuries as a result of concussions,” Ty’s mother, Leanne Pozzobon, said in a statement Tuesday. ... At the time of his death, Ty was visiting family and his property in Merritt, with plans to return to Texas, where his wife lives and where he spent most of his time. ... “He was very much moving forward but being drawn down by mental illness,” Joe said. ...

Dr. Tandy Freeman, medical director for the Professional Bull Riders, told Postmedia he last evaluated Pozzobon for a concussion before the end of the 2014 season. ... “This is a sad time for everyone who knows Ty or knew Ty,” Freeman said from Dallas Wednesday. “It’s a real tragedy. Everybody wishes there was something we knew or could have done, or in some way change what happened. ... “I can’t speak to what was going on with Ty at this stage. The last that I saw Ty, he was the same guy I had been acquainted with for several years.”{snip}