Ralph Yarl walks for brain injury awareness weeks after getting shot in the head for ringing wrong doorbell

Ralph Yarl, the Black 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, local media reported. 

Yarl, 17, suffered a gunshot wound to his head in April while trying to pick up his younger siblings, his mother, Cleo Nagbe, said. The teen has been walking a few miles every other day as part of his recovery, CBS affiliate KCTV reported.

His mother joined him for the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City’s walk. Members of “Team Ralph” were decked out in bright green to honor the teen, according to KCTV.

“It’s heartwarming to see this kind of support, and I pray that the support is not just for Ralph. I pray the support goes a long way for everybody that’s in this situation—that’s my prayer,” Nagbe told KCTV.

After her son was shot, Nagbe told “CBS Mornings” that a doctor had said a CT scan showed “just minimal fragments of the bullet in his brain.” 

More than 21,000 individuals in Kansas were affected by a brain injury last year, according to the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City. The organization’s run raises money for those dealing with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and their families. 

“This family, this TBI family that no one wants to be a part of, but when it happens it’s good to know that there’s actually a whole lot of people that can relate to what you’re going through even if it’s a very unfortunate situation,” Dr. Faith Spoonmore, Yarl’s aunt, told KCTV. 

Andrew Lester, 84, was charged in Yarl’s shooting. Prosecutors on April 17 announced he was being charged with two felony counts. Lester pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on April 19.