What Debby Ryan Said About the Injury
Debby Ryan, who gained fame as a Disney Channel performer with her breakout role on Suite Life on Deck and later headlined her own show, Jessie, has disclosed that she endured a brain injury that changed her life several years back. During an appearance on Mythical Kitchen's Last Meals, she explained that the injury stemmed from being shaken continuously for over a minute, and that it drew a sharp line between the Debby who existed before and the one who emerged afterward. She was unable to work for about half a year, she added, followed by roughly another six months of neurological rehabilitation.[S1]
Ryan said her symptoms kept worsening until she tried what she called a fringe science treatment, which helped bring her back online. Even so, she noted that some things simply did not come back. The injury followed a long history of what she described as hellish migraines, and she has referred to herself as a migraine warrior. She said that after the fifth concussion, the brain injury made her condition significantly worse.[S1]
Living With the Aftermath
Ryan described a world that often feels too loud and too bright, with a great deal going on around her. She said she can sometimes see and think better with her eyes closed because the visual information she takes in can be so distracting and so loud. The migraines, she added, were significantly worsened by that overload. She also expressed gratitude for the team around her, saying they reminded her who she is and was, held space for the possibility of permanent change, and loved her through it.[S1]
Ryan got her start in 2008, playing Bailey Pickett on Suite Life on Deck, a series headlined by Dylan and Cole Sprouse. In 2011 she took the lead in her own Disney Channel show, Jessie, sharing the screen with Peyton List and Cameron Boyce. The program aired four seasons and produced 98 episodes across its 2011 to 2015 run.[S1]
