Lester McKinzy went from working construction to suddenly getting so sick he couldn't walk. An initial misdiagnosis, a second opinion at The University of Kansas Cancer Center and finally a correct diagnosis led to the therapy that had Lester back to walking in just three weeks.

A concussion can happen anywhere, not just on the playing field, and the symptoms can linger long after the injury. We hear one woman's months-long recovery and ask the experts what you need to know about recognizing, treating and healing from a brain injury.

What started as a routine hearing appointment for Andres Dominguez turned into a shocking discovery: one of the rarest brain tumors in the world that could cause blindness. Could a specialized treatment at The University of Kansas Cancer Center stop the tumor without damaging his optic nerve?

Glenn Hopper, a 66-year-old stroke survivor, recounted his life-threatening stroke on April 23, 2025, while visiting his wife Joe in the hospital. Initially, he experienced numbness and called 911. A CT scan revealed a brain bleed. Despite initial stabilization, his brain swelled, necessitating a craniectomy. His skull was sent to West Virginia for preservation. After a second surgery, he recovered and returned home in two months and one week. Glenn's story highlights the importance of recognizing stroke symptoms and the medical team's expertise in managing severe brain bleeds and swelling.

After nearly a decade of living with Parkinson's disease, Mary Thurber knows what it means to have good days, hard days and days when the words simply will not come out. In this episode of All Things Brain Health, Mary shares how Parkinson's has affected her balance, memory, sleep, mood and independence — and how palliative care is helping her live better right now. Her care team at The University of Kansas Health System explains how palliative care, also called supportive care, is different from hospice and why it can be appropriate at any age or stage of a serious illness. They also discuss depression in Parkinson's disease, symptom management, caregiver support, telehealth appointments and how a team-based approach can improve quality of life for patients and families. This is a powerful look at redefining palliative care as support for living, not just end-of-life care.

After being hit by a suspected drunk driver, 22-year-old college softball player Kendall Forbes was ejected from her car and rushed by helicopter to The University of Kansas Health System with a severe traumatic brain injury and multiple life-threatening injuries. In this episode of All Things Brain Health, Kendall and her mother share what recovery has looked like — from coma, brain surgery and the early days in the hospital to relearning how to walk, returning to college and working toward playing softball again. Her doctors also explain the Glasgow Coma Scale, diffuse axonal injury, brain injury rehabilitation and what families should know about long-term recovery after a severe TBI. This is a powerful look at trauma care, recovery and the determination it takes to rebuild life after a devastating crash.

Seizures can cause confusion, staring, convulsions and sudden behavior changes. Doctors from The University of Kansas Health System explain how epilepsy surgery and a procedure called temporal lobe resection can help some patients become seizure-free. Tony Wild shares what life was like living with epilepsy and how brain surgery changed his daily life. His epileptologist, Dr. Carol Ulloa, and neurosurgeon, Dr. Jennifer Cheng, explain how doctors find where seizures begin, what happens during temporal lobe resection, and how they protect important brain function during surgery. We also cover recovery after epilepsy surgery, what it means to regain independence, and how tissue donation through the Epilepsy Brain Bank may help advance future epilepsy research.

Your heart is racing, your chest feels tight, and you feel like you can't breathe. Is it a life-threatening emergency, or is your brain triggering a panic attack?

Rita Sevart remembers her first tremor when she was only 10 years old. They worsened in adulthood. She recently had surgery which reduced her tremors by 95%. She is now able to sew, play the piano and type.

Scott Miller went to sleep one night and woke up eight days later after suffering a dangerous brain bleed. Doctors performed two emergency craniotomy surgeries to relieve pressure on his brain and save his life. Now fully recovered, his story shows how fast treatment for brain hemorrhage symptoms can make all the difference.