New York actress known as 'Dolly' uses notes app to remember friends and family after sustaining brain injury

Lifestyle

by S.W.N.S.

A woman with amnesia keeps notes about everyone in her life to help her remember details, and her friends nickname her Dolly.

Megan McKenzie, 27, suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling off a school stage and hitting the back of her head.

The author had to relearn to speak without stuttering, and over time found himself suffering from short-term and long-term memory loss.

She now keeps notes of all her friends and family on her phone's Notes app, recording details such as their favorite colors, birthdays, and places they want to go.

Megan, an actress and university teacher from New York City, said, “When I was a student, I was pushed off the stage and hit the bottom of the piano.I hit the back of my head.''

“I had to relearn how to speak.

“Then I realized I didn't have any memory anymore. I remember how things felt, but the details are blurry.

“I spent the next few years navigating the new normal.

“Each person has a personalized notes app.

“Many of my friends know and have told me the same story a million times.

“Many of my friends call me Dolly. [from Finding Nemo]. I always say, “Just keep swimming.” ”

Megan was 17 years old when the incident occurred and suffered a brain injury.

She said: “I couldn't explain what happened.

“I don't remember anything about the next few months.”

The next day, her parents took her to the hospital, but at first no one noticed the damage caused by the fall.

He was told he had suffered a mild concussion, but as his symptoms continued, he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.

Over the years, Megan has undergone various therapies to relearn how to read, write, and speak.

she said: “I loved reading. Now I speed read.

“I can read an entire book in three hours.

“You can start over with the Harry Potter series as an adult and with a fresh mind.”

Megan started writing things down after she noticed she was repeating the same stories to her friends.

she said: “So I started using a notes app to record things.

“I love bullet points. I give them titles in the person's notes app.

“I write down their birthdays, places they go, and the dog’s name.

“It was the random snippets of life that were important to me when I wrote them down.

“Everyone wants to see their notes, but I never show them.”

Meghan's boyfriend, Andrew, 24, is a master's student in computer engineering and is very supportive of Meghan.

she said: “He's a lovely, wonderful guy. When I tell him my story for the 800th time, he finds it fascinating.

“When I tell a story, I look at him like, 'What happened next?' And he'll jump in.”

Megan was told that memorizing lines was not an 'option' after her brain injury.

Now she's figured out how to use movement to do just that.

she said: She said, “When I'm learning my lines, I touch my head or something.

“Through movement, I can confine this word.”

Megan is sharing her story online to share the 'quirks' of brain injury.

she said: She has found a new normal. ”