TORONTO – A new concussion safety ad from the Ontario government that was prompted by the death of a 17-year-old girl will air on Sportsnet tonight during the NBA finals.
The ad shows a young female soccer player training hard and taking hits to her head during games, then collapsing on the field.
It ends with the words “Hit. Stop. Sit” – the slogan for a public awareness campaign under Rowan’s Law, Ontario’s concussion safety legislation.
Rowan Stringer died in 2013 from second impact syndrome after multiple concussions as a rugby player.
Her dad, Gordon Stringer, says the ad is hard to watch, but it needed to be in order to make a difference.
Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod, who spearheaded Rowan’s Law when she was in Opposition, says it’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of concussions because it’s easy to see if a player has broken their arm, but head injuries can be invisible.