Aaron Hernandez’s family donating brain for study

Aaron Hernandez’s family agreed to donate his brain to Boston University for brain damage study.

Whether or not one feels sympathy for the self-inflicted death of Aaron Hernandez, the concept of loss within his immediate family should be respected. In addition to Hernandez’s family, a quartet of other individuals, like Jose Baez (Hernandez’s attorney), are now whistling through the courts in terms of Hernandez’s organs. In cooperation with Baez, Hernandez’s family has agreed to donate his brain to scope out any possible brain damage.

The recipient of Hernandez’s brain will be Boston University, an hour southeast of the Souza-Baranowski Correction Center, location of Hernandez’s apparent suicide. The newest development in the investigation of his death concerns the question of if Hernandez sustained any trauma to the brain, a technical term also known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a constant point of discussion in the NFL, especially with the rise of incidents among inactive and active players.

There will be little difference in the handling of Hernandez’s case. With the permission from his family, Boston University will be able to shed some light on the inner workings of his brain. Leading up to his suicide, Hernandez’s demeanor didn’t make people wink once. While in a courtroom or even in prison, Hernandez allegedly appeared happy and optimistic about his upcoming appeals process.

Next: Timeline of Aaron Hernandez

The afterlife of Hernandez will be concentrated on his neural anatomy. Regardless of the cause of trauma, if any, Hernandez may not have indicated a mental illness, but that shouldn’t rule that possibility out. Outside of that, there’s also the exponential amount of PCP he administered to himself. Like any mind-altering substance, the long-term effects on the brain caused by PCP are debilitating.

The answer to all of this will be likely be presented by Boston University, if Hernandez’s family agrees to disclose that information.