When Holly Kostrzewski was 18, her life took a turn that she has fully embraced.

She sustained a traumatic brain injury in a car accident and is sharing her story during Brain Injury Awareness Month.

“Every brain is different, right, because it’s a bioindividual. And so every brain injury is different,” Kostrzewski said. “Mine’s considered a coup-contrecoup, so all four sides of my brain are damaged. So I learned to read, talk, walk again from 18 on.”

She cannot hit REM when sleeping, so she’s often tired. She also got epilepsy from the injury and experiences serious headaches.

Kostrzewski encourages people to advocate for themselves when they may have had a concussion or other head injury.

With hope, humor, and inspiration, she presents on brain injuries at conferences around the world. Next week, she is on her way to New Zealand to speak.

“My first day keynote is how to navigate college, grad school, and workplace with a brain injury. And my second day is a 25-year lookback on lessons that I’ve learned that have helped me be successful and what I wish I would have known then that I know now.”

Learn more about Holly’s work on hopehumorinspiration.com.