The UPEI Health and Wellness Centre wishes to inform the campus community that Concussion Awareness Week is from September 24 to 30 this year. Concussion Awareness Week was established in January 2021 to increase concussion awareness by providing information and encouraging action across Canada. Concussion Awareness Week is for everyone with a role in healthy active living – sport and recreation participants, parents, coaches, organizers, educators and more!

Why Concussion Awareness Matters

Concussion is a serious public health issue affecting all Canadians. Early recognition of concussion, proper medical assessment, and appropriate management make a difference in recovery. But Canadians need simple, easy-to-follow steps on how to care for a concussion or where to find good information. Through efforts such as Concussion Awareness Week, we can provide this.  

For more information about concussions or if you have had a concussion, you may wish to consult the UPEI concussion study at concussionstudy@upei.ca, or the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre at healthcentre@upei.ca.

Rowan Stringer’s Story

Rowan’s Law was named for Rowan Stringer, a high school rugby player from Ottawa, who died in the spring of 2013 from a condition known as second impact syndrome (swelling of the brain caused by a subsequent injury that occurred before a previous injury healed). Rowan is believed to have experienced three concussions over six days while playing rugby. She had a concussion but didn’t know her brain needed time to heal. Neither did her parents, teachers, or coaches. Rowan’s Law and Rowan’s Law Day were established to honour her memory and bring awareness to concussions and concussion safety.