Brain injuries change lives. And when someone's unfortunate enough to have several, the health impacts can have a domino effect.

“Say this when I'm in pain," said Kara Moran as she read a sign she made for herself. " 'Kiera, I know you're in pain, and I know that you're scared about the future, but you will feel better in the morning. You always do.' This is a way to remind myself when I was in a panic attack, because I was in so much just dire, you know, nothing like this had ever happened to me with so much pain, physical pain.”

The pain Moran is talking about began in April 2020, when she got COVID-19. Three days after she got the virus, she began to have seizures and confusion. When she went to the hospital she was diagnosed with encephalopathy. She’d recovered from that, but then in July, something happened again.

"I couldn't look at light," she said. "It was so intense and my neck ached and I couldn't remember things and my vision was blurred."

She was diagnosed with encephalitis, or brain inflammation, and long COVID.  

"The inflammation was incredible," Moran said. "It was very painful. And I didn't want to live. And but I held on and I said to myself, six months, I'll give myself six months. And I got better. And I've been climbing the mountain of wellness ever since."

This wasn’t Moran's first brain injury though. She got a concussion when she was 16. Then, in 1992, she was diagnosed with toxic encephalopathy, brain dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy, which means her nerves outside the brain and spinal cord were damaged.

She calls herself a triple ace.  

"Inch by inch with multiple brain injuries, the brain loses its power basically to reroute itself," Moran said. "What happens with brain injury is you get some areas of damage and the brain has the amazing capacity of going through and getting new pathways so that you can function again when you have multiple upon multiple. The brain is having a harder time finding those pathways and being able to function."

Moran joined the Brain Injury Association of New York State and received help from the organization. Moran still has some symptoms. There are still times when her vision isn’t great, she has trouble concentrating, and her emotions are difficult to manage. But she says she’s much better than before and that’s why she’s joining the March on Brain Injury Walk for the first time. She will also be honored at the walk.

"This is an important thing for me," Moran said. "I feel like I have to be a representative or like an ambassador for people with brain injuries being honored this way. And, you know, my team is 'Kara's Team of Hope.' And so I want to give hope to people like me that you can get."

Walks are being held across the state on Sept. 9.

If you're interested in donating to Kara's team or learning more about the walk, click here.