Saskatchewan mother calls for safer football helmets after son’s head injury

HEALTH Saskatchewan mother calls for safer football helmets after son’s head injury By Tavi Dhillon Global News Posted September 23, 2026 5:07 pm 2 min read RELATED: Concussion awareness week – Sep 25, 2025 LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE The family of a Saskatchewan high school football player is calling on schools to use better helmets after he suffered a head injury during a game. Hunter Gronick, a Grade 12 student at Greenall High School in Balgonie, Sask., experienced a head injury during his Sept. 10 football game. His Balgonie Greenall Griffins were away, facing the Swift Current Comprehensive High School Colts. “He was doing awesome. He didn’t have any major hits that anybody could tell. Then, he just fell onto the field at one point and that was the last play,” Sabrina Gronick, Hunter’s mother said. “The coach recalls him saying that he couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear and he collapsed, and then started vomiting.” Hunter was rushed to hospital for a CT scan when paramedics arrived. He was then taken from the hospital in Swift Current to Regina via air ambulance. In Regina, he underwent an hours-long surgery to remove a major portion of his skull, Sabrina told Global News in an interview. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT To protect other high school football players in Saskatchewan, and prevent their families from having to go through the same experience as Hunter’s, his family launched the Hunter’s Headstrong Initiative. It calls on Saskatchewan schools to provide better, safer helmets to football players in order to prevent head injuries. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. SIGN UP FOR WEEKLY HEALTH NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. “I understand that it’s not a fix,” Sabrina said, noting that the goal of the initiative is to minimize the chance of head injuries. She is waiting for the high schools athletic association to approve the equipment for use in Saskatchewan. Patrick Neary, a University of Regina professor with the faculty of kinesiology and health studies, said the effects of brain injuries can be severe. He said options like the guardian cap, soft padding that can be attached to the outside of a…