OH BOY! I’M FEATURED IN A SONG
Star highlights Ward’s plight
STEVIE WARD’S concussion nightmares have been immortalised in Boy George’s latest song.
The singer’s single Humanized features the words, ‘Fireworks in Stevie’s head’, in homage to the former Leeds Rhinos captain.
It’s a tribute that is both bizarre and touching, admits the 28-yearold, who had to retire last year because of his brain injury.
He said: “I was pretty mind blown when Boy George told me I was in the lyrics to his new song.
“I guess we have the most random friendship but he’s the most spontaneous man I’ve ever known.
“We speak to each other about our lives and I’ve spoken about my concussion, but I never thought he’d include it in a song.
“But you have to be prepared to open up to the flipping randomness of what the world can bring. You just have to go with the flow.
“I love the song – I’ve finally made it. But I don’t think it will ever feel like a real thing.
“It’s humbling to know George because he’s such a funny man and I really admire the way his career keeps progressing.
“At times it can be hard to find the positives from suffering with a brain injury but this is such a nice thing George has done, to show he’s thinking about it.”
The unusual friendship started when Boy George reached out to Ward after he first opened up about his battles with depression six years ago. Ward started Mantality, an online help group for men suffering with mental health issues, and has since turned it into a major organisation. It is a support network that Ward says has helped him cope with the three severe concussions that ended his career.
Ward produced a documentary last year, detailing the horrendous lows of dealing with concussion and his many failed attempts to find a cure. It is a battle that took him to Mexico last month in search of help and, finally, he feels that he can see a ray of light.
He said: “After doing the documentary I got in touch with some guys who are doing some cutting-edge treatment on concussion in Mexico.
“I was there for a few weeks having the treatment and it’s the first time I have seen any noticeable improvement.
“I am still getting migraines but I’m not taking any medication now and I’m managing to do a lot of the exercises that help.
“I also feel that I’m getting better cognitively and I’m able to pay attention to things and keep concentration better. I am still affected but I’m positive now because I feel like there’s an incline in improvement. All I’ve wanted was to see some progress.”