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Brooke Ellison was hit by a
car in 1990 at the age of 11 while she was on her way home from school. The
accident left her paralyzed from the neck down and ventilator-dependent.
Despite her physical situation, Brooke was determined to continue with her
life. Her accomplishments have included honors in poetry, science, math,
and literature. Brooke's most notable accomplishment, though, occurred in
2000, ten years after her accident, when she graduated magna cum laude from
Harvard University. Brooke graduated with an A- average in cognitive
neuroscience, a combined major of psychology and biology. She gave a
commencement address for her Harvard graduation in June of 2000.
In January of 2002, Brooke
and her mother, Jean Ellison, published a book entitled The Brooke
Ellison Story, which documents their family’s experiences from the day
of Brooke’s accident until their graduation from Harvard in 2000. Their
book was recently made into a movie, directed by Christopher Reeve and aired
on A&E on October 25, 2004. Brooke, now 27, has also graduated from
Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government with a Masters degree in Public
Policy and had been enrolled in the Ph.D. program in political science at
Stony Brook University.
Since her graduation from
Harvard in 2000, Brooke has worked as a public speaker, delivering the
message of hope and motivation, and strength in the face of obstacles. Her
audiences have been many and diverse, as she has spoken to members of the
medical community, business corporations, politicians, community members,
students, and nonprofit organizations, traveling across the country to do
so. Brooke’s recent and most notable engagements have included such
opportunities as delivering a congressional briefing on stem cells, serving
as commencement speaker, and participation in Bob Benia’s “Smart Talk”
Women’s Speaker Series, which brought her to audiences in Cincinnati and
Minneapolis. She has also spoken to groups in New Orleans, Washington, DC,
Boston, Philadelphia, Hartford, CT, and New York City. Although the
specific message differs from audience to audience, Brooke focuses her
attention on hope and motivation, using her own experiences as a vehicle to
convey the message.
Brooke's campaign is one founded on the positive difference we all can have on each other's lives and the strides that can be made when people commit themselves to a goal. When Brooke is in the state senate, she will fight hard to create housing opportunities for all Long Islanders, ensure adequate funding for schools, develop feasible transportation solutions, secure open space and environmental protections, and ensure that New York State embraces the promise of stem cell research. More information about her candidacy can be found on this website.
The details of Brooke’s life
have been widely covered in such publications as The New York Times,
People Magazine, USA Today, Newsday, Biography
Magazine, and The International Herald Tribune, as well as, such
programs as Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, The Today Show, Good
Morning America, The Early Show, and Larry King Live. In each of these
appearances, Brooke has expressed her desire to have an impact on the world,
stating “wherever there is a condition of discouragement or inopportunity,
that’s where I hope to be.” |
