*Ralph Yarl walked at a brain injury awareness event in Kansas City, Missouri, on Memorial Day, where he and his family joined more than 1,000 people to help to raise money for the cause.
The “Going the Distance for Brain Injury” run took place in Loose Park on May 29 and included a 5K, 10K, and a 1.5-mile walk, according to the Kansas City Star. The event marked Yarl’s first public appearance since being shot multiple times last month.
Yarl suffered a traumatic brain injury in April when he was shot twice— including once in the head—by Kansas City homeowner Andrew Lester, 84, after he mistakenly went to the wrong house while picking up his siblings. The teenager was reportedly shot above his left eye and in the arm. He received treatment at a local hospital for life-threatening injuries and is now on the road to recovery.
The teenager is expected to fully recover from the injuries he suffered.
Ralph Yarl, the teenager who was shot in the head after he mistakenly rang the wrong doorbell, joined a Kansas City, Missouri walk for brain injury awareness on Monday.
Yarl’s mother says he walks every day as part of his recovery. https://t.co/VjzzZ1UkDz pic.twitter.com/U7dIeByROQ
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 30, 2023
A GoFundMe set up by his aunt has raised $3.4 million for Yarl and any ongoing medical treatment he may require.
“Despite the severity of his injuries and the seriousness of his condition, Ralph is alive and recovering,” his family said in a statement, TMZ reports.
Lester was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of Yarl.
Since the shooting, Yarl has received support from celebrities such as Alicia Keys, Halle Berry, Viola Davis, and Kerry Washington.
Yarl did not make any public comments during the brain injury awareness event but his mother, Cleo Nagbe, shared an update on his recovery.
“When you get a traumatic brain injury, everybody expects you to look one way, feel one way or act one way, but it’s not that way,” she said, ABC News reports. “And everybody’s asking me have you gone back to work yet, has Ralph gone back to school yet? That’s not the case. A brain injury is a process, it’s not an event. It takes time.”
“Let’s raise more awareness to stop the things that cause brain injuries and should not be causing it, especially gun violence,” Nagbe added.
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READ MORE: Alicia Keys Invites Ralph Yarl to Kansas Concert, Family Raises Over $3 Million
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