A Commuter’s Brain Injury Journey

It was an ordinary December morning for Kelly Hartnett. She was commuting to her office in midtown Manhattan, lugging her laptop and a bag of Santa hats for the office Christmas party.

As she approached her stop on the subway, she felt what she described as an excruciating pain in her head. It was enough that she cried out in pain, prompting her fellow commuters to ask if she was alright. A good Samaritan took her hand and led her off the train. “I still didn’t grasp how serious the situation was,” she recalled. Kelly was disoriented and confused and had trouble speaking. The woman who guided her off the train sat with her and waited until an EMT arrived and took her to the nearby Mt. Sinai West Neurological Hospital, where she was diagnosed with a hemorrhaged arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and underwent a seven-hour brain surgery.

“Many can live their entire lives with an AVM and never experience a single symptom,” Kelly shared. “In my case, it hemorrhaged unexpectedly, which is what brought it to light.”

During her recovery, Kelly kept her mind sharp by mentally writing her brain injury story, making sure to capture the details while they were still fresh. “I’ve always thought of myself as clever and funny, using humor as a coping mechanism. I even started coming up with brain injury catchphrases that I imagined printing on T-shirts,” she said.

When she Googled some of her ideas, she discovered that many of them were already being produced – by the Brain Injury Association of America. It prompted her to take a closer look at the organization.

“As I researched the BIAA, I discovered that the organization also serves as an advocate for brain injury survivors, fighting for their rights and working to ensure they receive the health benefits they deserve, as much as any other recognized group with disabilities,” she said. “The BIAA truly understood the invisible injuries and scars left by brain surgery. Their support acknowledged not only the physical recovery but also the emotional and cognitive challenges that are often less visible to others. Reading other people’s personal stories similar to mine helped me realize I was not alone in my struggle. Knowing that others faced similar challenges and experiences provided comfort and reassurance during my recovery.”

She also learned that March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and challenged herself to hold a fundraiser. She created a fundraising page and shared her story on Facebook – an approach she said made her story more impactful and helped readers connect with what she was going through. “As a result, many felt inspired to support BIAA,” she said. She also set up a separate fundraiser at her job, which offers a company match, when she was able to return to work.

Prior to her injury, Kelly volunteered on a regular basis, which gave her a sense of appreciation and gratitude. “Fundraising for the BIAA gave me back that sense of purpose and allowed me to do something the ‘old me’ would have done, while also helping others,” she shared. “I truly believe that fundraising played a significant role in my healing journey.”

Brain Injury Awareness Month is just around the corner. Starting a fundraising page is easy: visit the 2026 Brain Injury Awareness Month Campaign page, or email Stephanie Cohen at scohen@biausa.org to get started.