That One Night
A Brain Injury Survival Story
by Kelly Kotzer

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What started out as an innocent, fun-filled night suddenly turns into a parent’s worst nightmare—their child dying in a heap of twisted metal on a moonlit street. Though she survives the car crash, Kelly’s life is forever altered that one dreadful night. Once a young, carefree teenager competing in sports and laughing with friends, she wakes to a different reality full of dire predictions about what she will never be able to achieve. Even when the scars fade, she will be left with the impacts of an invisible disability. Kelly just wants to play sports and graduate from high school. To lead the life she envisions, she must believe in herself, use the resources available and never give up. That One Night is based on the author’s own journey of trauma, survival and recovery. Ultimately a story of optimism and resilience, Kelly’s struggles remind us to never let others define our capabilities. With hard work and dedication, you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

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When Kelly Kotzer was seventeen years old, she survived a car crash that left her with a severe diffuse traumatic brain injury; she has been living with the impact of the injury for thirty years. Reading, attending presentations by survivors of brain injury and taking many different classes in university inspired her to write about her own experience. She wants to help others living with a brain injury and other traumas realize they are not alone in this journey. Kelly works regularly as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse. When not writing, she enjoys playing soccer, exercising, camping and travelling, and spending time with family and friends. She lives with her husband and their three boys in Regina, Saskatchewan.

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Contributors

Author

Kelly Kotzer