'Laguna Beach' Alum Lo Bosworth Details Living With a Traumatic Brain Injury After 2019 Accident
Courtesy of Lo Bosworth/Instagram

She’s a fighter. Lo Bosworth, who appeared on MTV’s Laguna Beach in the early 2000s, suffered a traumatic brain injury following a 2019 freak accident in New York City. The former reality TV star was out to dinner with friends when a door suddenly fell off its hinges and hit Lo in the back of the lead, causing her to collapse.

“I had a huge bump on my head and a black eye. The doctor told me if the door had hit me an inch further back, it could have been a really serious accident,” the California native, 34, recalled during an interview with E! News published on Friday, March 19. “I hardly have a recollection of those first few weeks. I was terrified.”

Later, while visiting with a neurologist, Lo was shocked to discover the gravity of her injury. “I was struggling to tell him the difference in monetary value between a quarter and a dime,” The Hills alum detailed. “It took me a solid 30 seconds to figure it out. It was during appointments like that that I realized, ‘Wow, I really need to take it easy.'”

Thankfully, Lo’s loved ones were there to support her every step of the way. “My family and friends, everyone cheered me on and was understanding of everything I was going through,” she explained. Moreover, Lo’s Love Wellness brand, which focuses on personal care products for women, was in safe hands. “My team just stepped in and took charge.”

Although her inner circle was aware of Lo’s struggle, the UC Santa Barbara graduate had yet to open up on social media about her diagnosis. “I just felt some hesitancy, maybe I felt like the severity of it was not valid enough,” she admitted. “It’s very challenging when you look OK on the outside, but you’re not OK on the inside. If I had not been through this experience, I probably would also think, ‘You look fine. I’ve asked you out to dinner three times. Why can’t you make it?’ People were like ‘What’s wrong with you?'”

Three months after her accident, Lo was diagnosed with mononucleosis. Since then, she’s made the decision to change her diet and exercise routine as a means of regaining control of her body. “We are very resilient,” the CEO mused. “I’ve dedicated myself to improving my health — and now I feel really good every day. I feel healthy.”

As it stands, Lo said she has “85 percent improvement from where I was” immediately following the accident. That said, she’s “not sure if it’s going to get any better than it is now.” Even so, she remains hopeful.

“I have the grit to continue to move forward,” Lo assured. “That’s who I am as a person. I don’t like to be stagnant. Constant evolution is what makes me satisfied every day.”