My name is Karlie Hanson, and I have a traumatic brain injury, TBI for short. I was in a severe car accident a little over a year ago. My car was t-boned and shot across three lanes of traffic. I was on life-support, in a coma for 12 days, had a tracheotomy, and had to relearn how to walk, talk, eat, drink, everything. Considering the time span and my capabilities between today and the day of my accident, I have made a miraculous recovery with God by my side.

Relearning the physical components of everyday life, was the easy part, but on a daily basis, I still struggle with managing my brain and emotions. A brain injury, in my opinion, is the worst injury to sustain. Nobody really knows the challenges of having a “different” brain. On the outside, I am perfectly fine, no mark. On the inside, I can be a little messy. I behave, speak, and learn differently compared to pre-TBI.

Other areas of my life have drastically changed too. Areas that include my family’s relationship, my faith, and my joy. These have all grown towards the light and couldn’t be bigger.

Though this accident has had its devastating moments, I have grown into the person that I believe I was always made to be.