[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 151 (Thursday, September 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5597-S5598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO BROOKE MILLS

 Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I am proud to recognize Brooke 
Mills of Concord as September's Granite Stater of the Month for her 
work advocating for concussion awareness and prevention in New 
Hampshire and across the country.
  In March of 2014, Brooke, then a freshman in high school, suffered a 
severe concussion during a mandatory handball game in gym class. The 
ramifications of this concussion went beyond the physical bruising in 
her brain and affected everything from her social life to her 
academics.
  Brooke suffered from memory loss and had to wear sunglasses indoors 
because the lighting in her school was too harsh, which led to teasing 
and bullying from her classmates. She also had to strictly limit the 
time she spent on her phone, which affected her ability to hang out 
with friends and use social media, a difficult situation for someone 
who just started high school.
  However, instead of letting her concussion get the best of her, 
Brooke turned her injury into a platform that she used to educate 
people about the dangers of concussions, while also providing 
reassurance for others who were going through similar trauma that they 
too could overcome the lasting impacts of a concussion.
  Brooke started a blog called Finding My Way, where she writes about 
her concussion and how it impacts her day-to-day life in the hopes of 
helping others suffering from concussions feel less alone. She also 
launched an organization called Lessen the Impact, dedicated to sharing 
her story and providing resources to help identify and prevent a 
concussion.

[[Page S5598]]

  Additionally, Brooke is a peer-to-peer speaker for the Brain Injury 
Association of New Hampshire, where she gives presentations at high 
schools and middle schools about how to identify a concussion and 
stresses the importance of being kind and understanding to those who 
suffer from this invisible injury.
  As a result of Brooke's advocacy, as Governor of New Hampshire, I 
declared the third Friday in September as Concussion Awareness Day in 
New Hampshire. This week, with a bipartisan group of my colleagues, I 
introduced a resolution in the U.S. Senate to recognize this day 
nationally.
  Concussion Awareness Day is also recognized by other States, as well 
as by the National Brain Injury Association. There is also a companion 
resolution recognizing this day that has been introduced in the U.S. 
House of Representatives.
  I want to thank Brooke for all that she has done and continues to do 
to turn a challenging experience into an opportunity to educate and 
bring awareness to Granite Staters and Americans about the dangers of 
concussions. She has truly demonstrated the grit, resilience, and 
empathy that reflects the best of our State.

                          ____________________