HR0315LRB103 32516 MST 62079 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Dionne Brown was 19-years-old when a drunk driver
3hit her car head on at 80 miles per hour; at the time, she was
4a sophomore at Lincoln Land Community College with the hopes
5of becoming a courtroom stenographer; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Dionne Brown miraculously survived with injuries,
7including four pelvis fractures, broken ribs, shattered facial
8bones, and a severe brain injury; her family was told she would
9not live, and she drifted in and out of a coma for days after;
10and
 
11    WHEREAS, Defying all odds, Dionne Brown woke and tried
12communicating with her family; after 13 months of care in the
13hospital, her family brought her home; and
 
14    WHEREAS, For the next two decades, Dionne Brown and her
15family tried different therapies and treatments to improve her
16cognitive function; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In 2014, the Browns found Kristie Maro, a
18personal trainer, who began a unique program with Dionne Brown
19that elicited a good response, and Dionne's strength and
20flexibility improved as she got older; and
 

 

 

HR0315- 2 -LRB103 32516 MST 62079 r

1    WHEREAS, Dionne Brown lived the fullest life possible and
2enjoyed many wonderful experiences, including being the
3Illinois representative for Mothers Against Drunk Driving
4(MADD) at a national convention, being welcomed as a special
5guest by Secretary of State Jesse White in his Springfield
6office, being featured on TV commercials, making public
7service announcements, and speaking with her sister, Rhonda,
8in local schools on behalf of MADD; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Dionne Brown's story is one of perseverance and
10hope to those most affected by drunk driving; December 14th of
11each year is the start of the National Highway Traffic Safety
12Administration's "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" initiative;
13therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
15HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16we declare December 14, 2023 as "Dionne Brown Day" in the State
17of Illinois; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to the Brown family as an expression of our esteem
20and respect.