An Oceanside man’s injury prompted a Nassau softball team to take added safety measures and promote awareness across Long Island.
Mark Brook nearly lost vision in his right eye last year after he was hit by a softball.
Brook went to New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai and saw Dr. Meenakashi Gupta.
Dr. Gupta found that his retina was twisted and that he was in need of a complicated emergency surgery.
Months later, Brook has made much progress in his recovery. He can see again and is back playing softball.
The team is now wearing a facial mask on their batting helmets and protective eyewear.
According to several medical websites, 40 percent of all sports injuries involve the face. The injuries are most often due to direct hits with a ball or player-to-player contact.