About RTBI
Michael Mcintosh
Founder of Refuse To Be Invisible, Inc
Michael McIntosh, a Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor, is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Refuse to be Invisible, INC. Michael was involved in a fatal car accident on November 11, 2004 when he was 17 years old. He was 20 days away from his 18th birthday. Michael spent 2.5 months in the hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time after his arrival. God still had more work for Michael. Michael spent 10 days on life support. The doctors told Michael’s parents that he will remain in a vegetative state for the time he had left on this earth. Michael spent a month in the Elvis Presley Trauma Center, where he learned how to walk, talk, and write again. Michael is now doing what the doctors said he couldn’t do: working, in school, and living his new normal. Michael runs a support group, Brain Injury Warriors’ Support and Safe, where he teaches and mentors other brain injury survivors. Brain Injury has taught Michael to be more grateful for life and never take the small things for granted.
Dorothy Rawls
Executive Director
29 yrs old from a small town in Mississippi. Dorothy is passionate about helping those who struggles with brain injury. She recently became heavily invested in brain injury advocacy three years ago when she met the love of her life, who happens to be a brain injury survivor. Learning and studying her fiancè’s behavior and how TBI affects his life really pushed Dorothy into researching brain injury.
Dorothy received her M.S degree in mental health counseling. She is the administrator of Brain Injury Warriors’ Support and Safe Place. She’s currently pursuing her doctorate degree in clinical psychology
Kearria Freed
Board of Director
Kearria Freed is 26 years old, born and raised in Mobile, AL. On March 28, 2015, Kearria got shot in the head at a house party in Panama City Beach during her college spring break, causing a traumatic brain injury. Due to the gunshot, Kearria suffered from multiple injuries, including her eye, ear, face, and endured a stroke and became paralyzed on the left side of her body and the right side of her face, and could not walk for two years or talk for five months. Kearria put all of her efforts into regaining her independence and now has partial paralysis on the left side of her body but can walk independently and partial paralysis on the right side of her face, but can talk. Since Kearria has become disabled, she has earned her AS in General Education, her BS in Human Services, and currently working on her MA in Rehabilitation Counseling. In her experiences, Kearria was inspired to start her non-profit organization. Kearria is the founder and Executive Director of Kearria Kares Foundation, where she strives to increase the independence of disabled young adults. She is very passionate about empowering disabled individuals and showing the world that individuals with disabilities can live successfully and fulfilled lives.