*Author’s note—this story contains mentions of suicide. If you or anybody you know needs help, please call, text or message 988 online to get immediate help from the National Suicide & Crisis Hotline*
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – A Green Bay family is turning unimaginable loss into a mission to better protect young athletes from the long-term effects of concussions.
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David and Sandy Kruse say their son, Kasey, loved hockey from the time he was a little boy. His dad remembers the moment it all began.
“He was five years old and the first thing he saw was hockey guys coming out of the locker rooms,” David Kruse said. “He said, ‘Oh my gosh, Dad,’ and he was enthralled with it from then.”
Kasey grew up playing the sport and later became a youth hockey coach — something his family says meant the world to him.
“All we heard from them is that their kids loved Kasey as a coach,” his father said.
But when Kasey was 13 years old, during a tournament in Shawano, he suffered a concussion that his parents say changed the course of his life.
They were not at that particular game — a rare occurrence — and later learned Kasey had been knocked unconscious. A coach reportedly told another parent that Kasey should be seen by a doctor, but that message never reached his family. When Kasey got home, he insisted he was fine.
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Days later, during another game, his parents say the seriousness of the injury became clear. Kasey left the ice mid-game and went to the locker room, where his father found him in distress.
“He started crying and said, ‘The whole world is spinning, I’m gonna throw up,’” David Kruse said. “And I realized something was wrong.”
Doctors later found fluid around his brain. The family says they were told continued activity after the initial hit may have worsened the injury — something they didn’t fully understand at the time.
Looking back, the Kruses say one of the biggest challenges was that there was no baseline test to compare Kasey’s brain function before and after the concussion.
“If he had had a baseline test to begin with, they could have compared the baseline and figured out a better treatment protocol,” his father said.
In the years that followed, Kasey struggled with anxiety, depression and substance use. His mom says they searched for answers, taking him to numerous doctors and specialists.
“As the months went on, he would go through depressions, stay in his bed,” Sandy Kruse said. “I’ve taken him to more doctors and specialists to figure out what’s wrong with him.”
Kasey died by suicide at age 26.
His family now believes the concussion he suffered as a teenager played a major role in the mental and emotional challenges he faced later in life.
Kasey’s sister Karissa said watching her brother struggle was heartbreaking.
“Seeing the trajectory of our lives go in different ways after that and you look back and say, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s where it all started,’” she said.
Now, the Kruse family is working to make sure other families don’t go through the same experience.
They created the Kasey D. Kruse Fund and partnered with BayCare Clinic to provide ImPACT baseline concussion testing for youth athletes. The computerized test measures brain function before an injury happens, giving doctors something to compare to if a concussion is suspected later.
“No reason for something so simple to do that takes 20 minutes,” David Kruse said.
So far, the family says dozens of local youth hockey players have received baseline testing through the program. Their goal is to see baseline concussion testing become a standard requirement for youth sports across Wisconsin.
“Football has the same thing, all sports,” he said. “We would love to get on the bandwagon and make this a mandatory thing.”
Even as they push for change, Kasey’s impact is still being felt in the hockey community. His family recently received a message from players he once coached, telling them about a tournament win and dedicating it to him.
Sandy Kruse says that is the Kasey she wants people to remember.
“He fought so hard in this world to bring so much joy, happiness and humor into this world,” she said.
The Kruses hope sharing his story will not only raise awareness about the long-term effects of concussions but also encourage people to check in on loved ones who may be silently struggling.
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HOW TO HELP
The Kruse family says donations to the Kasey D. Kruse Fund help cover the cost of baseline concussion testing for young athletes in the community. People interested in supporting the effort can reach out to local youth hockey organizations involved in the program or watch for future community fundraisers connected to the fund.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential support.
