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Forget Regret: A Memoir of Embracing Transformation after a Traumatic Brain Injury
When an unexpected accident altered everything for sixteen-year old Kamya Rilling, life was just beginning. Finding herself in a hospital bed with partial paralysis due to a traumatic brain injury, Kamya faced an uncertain future. Forget Regret is a powerful memoir that brings readers into the raw, unfiltered experience of a young person grappling with physical, mental, and emotional upheaval. Through setbacks and small victories, Kamya returns to high school and on to university, and discovers not only her inner strength, but the transformative power of community, and the courage to rebuild a new, unexpected path forward.
More than just a story of survival, Forget Regret is a story of perseverance, individuality, and human connection. It serves as an inspiring reminder that the road to healing isn’t straight, nor is it one that must be traveled alone.
More than just a story of survival, Forget Regret is a story of perseverance, individuality, and human connection. It serves as an inspiring reminder that the road to healing isn’t straight, nor is it one that must be traveled alone.
234 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2025
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 10, 2026
FORGET REGRET is the non-fiction memoir of author Kamya Rilling being involved as a passenger in a car accident which resulted in a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).
I have known a few people who have suffered from Traumatic Brain Injuries and because the lasting "damage" is invisible, people seem to have little or no understanding of the life-changing effects such an injury can cause.
Kamya has written with bravery and candor of her experiences both past and present. I say "bravery" because it is difficult to expose one's innermost thoughts and feelings for all the world to see. This would be hard to do for anyone and I think it would be doubly difficult for someone who has a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).
It is my opinion that Kamya's story needs to be shared far and wide. In writing this book, she has done a great service to all others who are also dealing with traumatic brain injury. If a book such as this would have been available when Kamya was first diagnosed, it would have provided her with hope and with a sort-of pathway to follow while learning about her limitations and challenges while simultaneously transitioning from teenager to young adult, and onwards.
Kamya does not sugar-coat her experience and allows the reader into her inner world. She offers hope while also giving voice to the fact that rehabilitation will not be instantaneous. In short, she offers up her reality - both immediately following the car accident and during the first few years afterwards.
As a Disability Advocate, I think this book is excellent. Kamya's story and her revelations that everyone is unique despite whether they have a "disability" or not is a message that everyone should embrace. She notes that the human brain is incredibly complex and that despite decades of research, not much is truly known. She also reminds readers that just because someone looks "normal" does not mean that they are not experiencing an "invisible illness."
Unfortunately, people equate someone looking well at a glance as if that means they are in perfect condition mentally and physically. This is not true. There is a huge portion of the population who are dealing with invisible illnesses. I, myself, have three invisible illnesses that looking at me would be impossible know about. My disabilities include Multiple Sclerosis, FM, and CRPS, but are invisible to the naked eye. This is another example of what Kamya means when she says not to judge others by appearance alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kamya's story and will be sharing her book with as many people as possible. I truly believe that every person who reads this book will come away with something valuable.
I am rating "FORGET REGRET: A Memoir of Embracing Transformation after a Traumatic Brain Injury as 4.5 out of 5 Stars (rounded up to 5 out of 5 Stars) ☆☆☆☆☆
To read more visit my blog at
http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Follow me on Instagram at
http://www.instagram.com/Amiesbookrev...
I have known a few people who have suffered from Traumatic Brain Injuries and because the lasting "damage" is invisible, people seem to have little or no understanding of the life-changing effects such an injury can cause.
Kamya has written with bravery and candor of her experiences both past and present. I say "bravery" because it is difficult to expose one's innermost thoughts and feelings for all the world to see. This would be hard to do for anyone and I think it would be doubly difficult for someone who has a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).
It is my opinion that Kamya's story needs to be shared far and wide. In writing this book, she has done a great service to all others who are also dealing with traumatic brain injury. If a book such as this would have been available when Kamya was first diagnosed, it would have provided her with hope and with a sort-of pathway to follow while learning about her limitations and challenges while simultaneously transitioning from teenager to young adult, and onwards.
Kamya does not sugar-coat her experience and allows the reader into her inner world. She offers hope while also giving voice to the fact that rehabilitation will not be instantaneous. In short, she offers up her reality - both immediately following the car accident and during the first few years afterwards.
As a Disability Advocate, I think this book is excellent. Kamya's story and her revelations that everyone is unique despite whether they have a "disability" or not is a message that everyone should embrace. She notes that the human brain is incredibly complex and that despite decades of research, not much is truly known. She also reminds readers that just because someone looks "normal" does not mean that they are not experiencing an "invisible illness."
Unfortunately, people equate someone looking well at a glance as if that means they are in perfect condition mentally and physically. This is not true. There is a huge portion of the population who are dealing with invisible illnesses. I, myself, have three invisible illnesses that looking at me would be impossible know about. My disabilities include Multiple Sclerosis, FM, and CRPS, but are invisible to the naked eye. This is another example of what Kamya means when she says not to judge others by appearance alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kamya's story and will be sharing her book with as many people as possible. I truly believe that every person who reads this book will come away with something valuable.
I am rating "FORGET REGRET: A Memoir of Embracing Transformation after a Traumatic Brain Injury as 4.5 out of 5 Stars (rounded up to 5 out of 5 Stars) ☆☆☆☆☆
To read more visit my blog at
http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Follow me on Instagram at
http://www.instagram.com/Amiesbookrev...
May 20, 2025
Forget Regret is an emotionally gripping, beautifully written story that pulls you in from the first page. The story is layered and relatable, and Kamya's journey is both heart-wrenching and hopeful. The writing is heartfelt, with just the right balance of romance, drama, and introspection. I found myself thinking about it long after I finished the book, which is always the mark of a powerful story. A stunning debut, and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!
February 4, 2026
“I grew up in such a tiny town, on a small Island, in a big country, in a vast world. There’s more to life than what I grew up around, and I find it very exciting.”
This deeply touching memoir details the author’s experience of being in a life threatening car accident at the age of 16. It covers the accident, her recovery and journey to independence, and details her life living with a traumatic brain injury. But really it is so much more. It’s a story of strength, resilience, family, friendship, diversity and equity, and life on PEI.
I went to high school with Kamya, the author, and had the pleasure of sharing a few classes with her during that time. I remember hearing that she had been in an accident, but I truly did not know the life long impacts the accident had on her until I saw that she had written this memoir.
I found the parts detailing her time at UPEI to be particularly nostalgic for me, as I attended during the same years. Kamya’s writing brought me right back to UPEI and I could so vividly see the campus in my mind while I reading. I also loved reading about Kamya’s relationship with her mom, I found it very moving and it isn’t hard to tell how much love is in their family.
While this memoir has many sad moments there are a lot of really sweet and heartwarming memories shared in between. Kamya, if you are reading this review, I find your strength inspiring and think it is amazing you wrote this memoir to share your experience with TBI. I hope you continue to write and share your art with the world!
This deeply touching memoir details the author’s experience of being in a life threatening car accident at the age of 16. It covers the accident, her recovery and journey to independence, and details her life living with a traumatic brain injury. But really it is so much more. It’s a story of strength, resilience, family, friendship, diversity and equity, and life on PEI.
I went to high school with Kamya, the author, and had the pleasure of sharing a few classes with her during that time. I remember hearing that she had been in an accident, but I truly did not know the life long impacts the accident had on her until I saw that she had written this memoir.
I found the parts detailing her time at UPEI to be particularly nostalgic for me, as I attended during the same years. Kamya’s writing brought me right back to UPEI and I could so vividly see the campus in my mind while I reading. I also loved reading about Kamya’s relationship with her mom, I found it very moving and it isn’t hard to tell how much love is in their family.
While this memoir has many sad moments there are a lot of really sweet and heartwarming memories shared in between. Kamya, if you are reading this review, I find your strength inspiring and think it is amazing you wrote this memoir to share your experience with TBI. I hope you continue to write and share your art with the world!
April 27, 2025
It was a good read. Very inspirational and a real tear-jerker!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews