A teen athlete's headache wouldn't stop. It took a year to find a cure.

HealthWatch A teen athlete's painful headache wouldn't go away. It took over a year to find a cure. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-healthwatch.jpg'); } By Kerry Breen Kerry Breen News Editor Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use. Read Full Bio Kerry Breen April 11, 2026 / 8:00 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Jack Alston had been playing football for most of his life — but he had never shaken the bad habit of leading with his head. During a practice in August 2024, he was hit hard, but never exhibited typical concussion symptoms like vomiting or losing consciousness. The incident left him with a mild headache. He had a history of migraines, so at first, the pain didn't bother him much. But then it "didn't really go away," Jack, then in eighth grade, said. Still, football was "his life." He avoided mentioning the pain to his parents so he wouldn't miss practices or games. Caroline Alston said that if she'd known what was wrong, she would have never let her son back on the field. "We just assumed he was OK. We didn't follow up," Alston said. "I think that's where we made a mistake." Two weeks later, Jack took another hit. Again, he didn't lose consciousness or show typical concussion symptoms. He finished the game. Then the pain sharply escalated. Jack said his daily pain felt like an "eight or nine" out of 10. His parents pulled him from the team. Doctors said he had a concussion, but no one could make the pain stop."It never, ever left. It was awful," Alston said. "Imagine having pain like that as a 14-year-old."  An undated photo of Jack Alston in his football uniform. Caroline Alston "Throwing things at the wall" The Alstons visited pediatricians, a neurologist, and c...