Petition Letter
During my first semester at Queen's, I suffered a major concussion while playing for the Varsity Men's Soccer Team. While I thought my injury had healed quickly, I still experienced persistent symptoms for the next several months, severely impacting my cognitive and social abilities. These symptoms, combined with a lengthy history of concussions, forced me to stop playing soccer to focus on my physical and mental health, and in turn my academics. Unfortunately, at the start of my second year, a glass bottle was thrown at a group of me and my friends, and I was knocked out and taken to hospital where I was diagnosed with another concussion. As I began the school year, I found it increasingly difficult to maintain my course work, as I had a increased sensitivity to light and noise as well as difficulty working at a computer screen for any period longer than a couple minutes. Because of these challenges, I approached Milana McNamee both over email and in person, and she recommended I go see Dr. Karen Graham. Dr. Graham filled out an academic accommodations form, however she recommended I see a specialist once I returned home to Vancouver. I have now seen several doctors at home, and I have begun treatment for post-concussion syndrome (PCS). Symptoms that I experienced from PCS include sensitivity to light and sound, headaches, migraines, anxiety and depression, as well as difficulty sleeping. All of these symptoms made completing coursework both on-time and to the best of my abilities very challenging, which obviously impacted my academic standing. As of the time of writing, I have begun treatment for these symptoms and I am hopeful that I can continue my years at Queen¿¿s healthily and happily.