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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Dionne Brown was 19-years-old when a drunk driver | ||||||
| 3 | hit her car head on at 80 miles per hour; at the time, she was | ||||||
| 4 | a sophomore at Lincoln Land Community College with the hopes | ||||||
| 5 | of becoming a courtroom stenographer; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Dionne Brown miraculously survived with injuries, | ||||||
| 7 | including four pelvis fractures, broken ribs, shattered facial | ||||||
| 8 | bones, and a severe brain injury; her family was told she would | ||||||
| 9 | not live, and she drifted in and out of a coma for days after; | ||||||
| 10 | and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Defying all odds, Dionne Brown woke and tried | ||||||
| 12 | communicating with her family; after 13 months of care in the | ||||||
| 13 | hospital, her family brought her home; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, For the next two decades, Dionne Brown and her | ||||||
| 15 | family tried different therapies and treatments to improve her | ||||||
| 16 | cognitive function; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, In 2014, the Browns found Kristie Maro, a | ||||||
| 18 | personal trainer, who began a unique program with Dionne Brown | ||||||
| 19 | that elicited a good response, and Dionne's strength and | ||||||
| 20 | flexibility improved as she got older; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Dionne Brown lived the fullest life possible and | ||||||
| 2 | enjoyed many wonderful experiences, including being the | ||||||
| 3 | Illinois representative for Mothers Against Drunk Driving | ||||||
| 4 | (MADD) at a national convention, being welcomed as a special | ||||||
| 5 | guest by Secretary of State Jesse White in his Springfield | ||||||
| 6 | office, being featured on TV commercials, making public | ||||||
| 7 | service announcements, and speaking with her sister, Rhonda, | ||||||
| 8 | in local schools on behalf of MADD; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Dionne Brown's story is one of perseverance and | ||||||
| 10 | hope to those most affected by drunk driving; December 14th of | ||||||
| 11 | each year is the start of the National Highway Traffic Safety | ||||||
| 12 | Administration's "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" initiative; | ||||||
| 13 | therefore, be it
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| 14 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 15 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 16 | we declare December 14, 2023 as "Dionne Brown Day" in the State | ||||||
| 17 | of Illinois; and be it further
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| 18 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 19 | presented to the Brown family as an expression of our esteem | ||||||
| 20 | and respect.
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