Blink of an Eye, a new podcast with Louise Phipps Senft, explores stories of trauma, loss, awakening, and epiphanies. Ms. Senft recounts her experience navigating a life-changing accident that rendered her son, Archer, paralyzed from the neck on down, and expands the story with interviews of those behind the scene. Told through real journal entries and inspiring guests, Blink of an Eye will inspire you to explore the true nature of our relationships and interconnectedness in the face of an event that changes everything.
Episodes
2 hours ago
2 hours ago
The Hidden Intelligence of the Human Spine with Dr. Susan Harkema
Louise sits down with Dr. Susan Harkema, a world-renowned neuroscientist and the director of Consortium Growth for Spinal Stimulation at the Kessler Foundation's Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation. Dr. Harkema's path into spinal cord research was entirely serendipitous — trained in cellular muscle energetics, she stumbled into a human research project at UCLA almost by accident. A single lunch with her first research participant, a Paralympic athlete named Gerard Marino, sealed it. He told her the work wouldn't help him, but it gave him hope. She never looked back.
Over three decades, Dr. Harkema dismantled the medical dogma that a complete spinal cord injury meant permanent, irreversible paralysis — person by person, experiment by experiment. She walks Louise through watching Rob Summers stand independently at zero percent body weight support, then move voluntarily, which her own science said was impossible. She also unpacks why the label "complete" is both inaccurate and harmful, how the spinal cord processes sensory information independent of the brain, and why stabilizing blood pressure can be just as life-changing as taking a step.
Learn more about Dr. Harkema's work at the Kessler Foundation here: https://kesslerfoundation.org/about-us/foundation-staff/susan-harkema-phd
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
7 days ago
7 days ago
The First Electronic Bridge Between Brain, Body and Spinal Cord with Dr. Chad Bouton
Louise sits down with Dr. Chad Bouton, VP of Advanced Engineering at Northwell Health and director of the Neural Bypass and Brain-Computer Interface Laboratory at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York. A science-fair kid from Texas who survived his own traumatic brain injury in graduate school, Dr. Bouton has spent two decades chasing a single insight: a spinal cord injury doesn't silence the brain. It just cuts the road. His lab builds the detour.
He walks Louise through the science of neural decoding and the world's first double neural bypass trial, in which five microchips implanted across the motor and sensory regions of Keith Thomas's brain allowed Keith to open his hand and — for the first time in years — feel his sister's touch. Dr. Bouton also describes the cooperative rehabilitation study pairing Keith with fellow participant Kathy, where Keith's thoughts wirelessly directed stimulation to her muscles while sensation signals routed back to his own fingertips. Within six weeks, she tripled her hand strength. He doubled his bicep strength and started petting his dog again. They now email each other from home.
Dr. Bouton speaks openly about his company Neuvotion, the push toward a minimally invasive wireless brain interface, and his message to insurance companies, students, and anyone navigating life after paralysis.
You can learn more about Dr. Bouton's lab and research at www.boutonlab.com
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday May 27, 2026
Wednesday May 27, 2026
The Neurons That Never Died: Dr. Parag Gad on Rewiring the Injured Spine
Louise is joined by Dr. Parag Gad, a neuroscientist, biomedical engineer, and co-founder of Spinex, whose work is quietly dismantling one of medicine's most stubborn assumptions — that what spinal cord injury takes, stays taken. Trained under the late Dr. Reggie Edgerton at UCLA, Dr. Gad shares the accidental lab observation that launched an entirely new line of inquiry into bladder function and ultimately produced the SCONE, Spinex's FDA breakthrough-designated spinal cord neuromodulator. He walks through a finding that stops Louise cold: 97 percent of individuals classified as motor complete still have spared fibers crossing the lesion site. Those neurons are not dead — they are dormant, waiting for a signal loud enough to reach them. Dr. Gad explains why restoring sensation always precedes movement, what a 50 to 70 percent reduction in leakage means for someone's actual life, and why he is borrowing one final line from Edgerton to close: this is no longer a question of if. The when, he says, is very soon.
You can learn more about Dr. Gad and the SCONE device by visiting: https://spinex.co/
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday May 20, 2026
Wednesday May 20, 2026
The Mind-Bending Future of Neural Stem Cells with Dr. Michael Fehlings
Louise is joined by Dr. Michael Fehlings, a world-renowned neurosurgeon in Toronto, spinal cord injury researcher, and the head of neurosurgery at University Health Network. Dr. Fehlings reflects on his early years, sharing how his grandfather's struggle with strokes inspired his path into neuroscience. He recounts the immense pushback he faced early in his medical career when he and his mentor first introduced the concept of the secondary injury hypothesis and advocated for early surgical decompression. Despite the medical establishment's initial skepticism, his relentless pursuit ultimately transformed the global standard of care for acute spinal cord injuries. The conversation dives deep into the future of regenerative medicine, exploring the astonishing potential of induced pluripotent stem cells and his lab's groundbreaking discovery of endogenous neural stem cells residing naturally within the spinal cord. Dr. Fehlings also shares poignant stories of the patients who taught him that even small functional improvements can profoundly alter a person's quality of life. Through it all, he highlights the irreplaceable role of families and faith in navigating SCI trauma, leaving listeners with a resounding message of hope and a reason why with his lab’s unwavering commitment to finding a cure for SCI.
You can learn more about Dr. Fehlings and his ongoing clinical research by visiting https://www.uhnresearch.ca/researcher/michael-fehlings
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday May 13, 2026
Wednesday May 13, 2026
The Cross-Syndrome Medical Quest to Cure Nerve Damage with Dr. Jarod Carter
Louise sits down with Dr. Jarod Carter, a doctor of physical therapy and the founder of the Neuron Regeneration Community. Jarod bravely traces his journey back to the devastating moment he received a phone call in the middle of treating a patient, learning that his infant twins, Adelaide and Gray, had Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 1. He shares the heartbreak of early missed signs, the agonizing process of navigating the healthcare system, and the incredible lengths his family went to secure life-saving treatments. Refusing to accept the traditional medical indoctrination that damaged neurons cannot heal, Jarod pivoted his entire career to seek out regenerative breakthroughs. The conversation explores his visionary approach to breaking down the rigid silos of medical research, advocating that true healing will require cross-syndrome collaboration and combinatorial therapies—blending cell reprogramming, bioelectrics, and advanced rehabilitation like transcutaneous electrical stimulation—to treat everything from SMA to acute spinal cord injuries. Drawing inspiration from global competition models, he discusses the urgent need to incentivize out-of-the-box thinking to solve humanity's greatest medical challenges. You can learn more about the incentive competition model Jarod envisions as a blueprint for medical innovation by visiting xprize.org.
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
You can learn more about the incentive competition model Jarod envisions as a blueprint for medical innovation by visiting xprize.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday May 06, 2026
Wednesday May 06, 2026
#312 Revisiting Blink: I Didn't See This One Coming
Before launching into a new season focused on cutting-edge medical science and breakthroughs in spinal cord injury research, Louise takes a moment to look back at where it all began. In these special revisiting episodes, listeners are invited to return to the origin story of the podcast and the deeply personal realities of spinal cord trauma with the intention to raise the awareness for researchers, funders and medical personnel of the reality of Spinal Cord Injury trauma on a family system . The episodes explore the profound healing learnings and the true experience of navigating life after a catastrophic injury from the perspective of both the patient and the family. By revisiting this raw human journey of devastation and resilience, we are reminded of exactly why this research matters so deeply and how these personal stories continue to inform, guide, and inspire the brilliant medical teams and scientists working tirelessly to change the future.
Sending love
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Apr 29, 2026
Wednesday Apr 29, 2026
#311 Revisiting Blink: I Didn't See This One Coming Trauma Healing Learnings
Before launching into a new season focused on cutting-edge medical science and breakthroughs in spinal cord injury research, Louise takes a moment to look back at where it all began. In these special revisiting episodes, listeners are invited to return to the origin story of the podcast and the deeply personal realities of spinal cord trauma with the intention to raise the awareness for researchers, funders and medical personnel of the reality of Spinal Cord Injury trauma on a family system . The episodes explore the profound healing learnings and the true experience of navigating life after a catastrophic injury from the perspective of both the patient and the family. By revisiting this raw human journey of devastation and resilience, we are reminded of exactly why this research matters so deeply and how these personal stories continue to inform, guide, and inspire the brilliant medical teams and scientists working tirelessly to change the future.
Sending love
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
#310 Revisiting Blink: The ABC Board
Before launching into a new season focused on cutting-edge medical science and breakthroughs in spinal cord injury research, Louise takes a moment to look back at where it all began. In these special revisiting episodes, listeners are invited to return to the origin story of the podcast and the deeply personal realities of spinal cord trauma with the intention to raise the awareness for researchers, funders and medical personnel of the reality of Spinal Cord Injury trauma on a family system . The episodes explore the profound healing learnings and the true experience of navigating life after a catastrophic injury from the perspective of both the patient and the family. By revisiting this raw human journey of devastation and resilience, we are reminded of exactly why this research matters so deeply and how these personal stories continue to inform, guide, and inspire the brilliant medical teams and scientists working tirelessly to change the future.
Sending love
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Apr 15, 2026
Wednesday Apr 15, 2026
#309 Revisiting Blink: Tunnel Vision
Before launching into a new season focused on cutting-edge medical science and breakthroughs in spinal cord injury research, Louise takes a moment to look back at where it all began. In these special revisiting episodes, listeners are invited to return to the origin story of the podcast and the deeply personal realities of spinal cord trauma with the intention to raise the awareness for researchers, funders and medical personnel of the reality of Spinal Cord Injury trauma on a family system . The episodes explore the profound healing learnings and the true experience of navigating life after a catastrophic injury from the perspective of both the patient and the family. By revisiting this raw human journey of devastation and resilience, we are reminded of exactly why this research matters so deeply and how these personal stories continue to inform, guide, and inspire the brilliant medical teams and scientists working tirelessly to change the future.
Sending love
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Apr 08, 2026
Wednesday Apr 08, 2026
#308 Revisiting Blink: He Talked with God
Before launching into a new season focused on cutting-edge medical science and breakthroughs in spinal cord injury research, Louise takes a moment to look back at where it all began. In these special revisiting episodes, listeners are invited to return to the origin story of the podcast and the deeply personal realities of spinal cord trauma with the intention to raise the awareness for researchers, funders and medical personnel of the reality of Spinal Cord Injury trauma on a family system . The episodes explore the profound healing learnings and the true experience of navigating life after a catastrophic injury from the perspective of both the patient and the family. By revisiting this raw human journey of devastation and resilience, we are reminded of exactly why this research matters so deeply and how these personal stories continue to inform, guide, and inspire the brilliant medical teams and scientists working tirelessly to change the future.
Sending love
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Apr 01, 2026
Wednesday Apr 01, 2026
#307 Revisiting Blink: The Call
Before launching into a new season focused on cutting-edge medical science and breakthroughs in spinal cord injury research, Louise takes a moment to look back at where it all began. In these special revisiting episodes, listeners are invited to return to the origin story of the podcast and the deeply personal realities of spinal cord trauma with the intention to raise the awareness for researchers, funders and medical personnel of the reality of Spinal Cord Injury trauma on a family system . The episodes explore the profound healing learnings and the true experience of navigating life after a catastrophic injury from the perspective of both the patient and the family. By revisiting this raw human journey of devastation and resilience, we are reminded of exactly why this research matters so deeply and how these personal stories continue to inform, guide, and inspire the brilliant medical teams and scientists working tirelessly to change the future.
Sending love
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
The Unifying Language of the Human Breath for SCI Healing with Jessica Dibb
Louise sits down with Jessica Dibb, a pioneer in psychospiritual healing, Director of the Global Breathwork Alliance, and the founder of the Inspiration Consciousness School and Community. Jessica shares her unique journey from her early days as a classically trained dancer with the Royal Ballet of England and the Bolshoi Ballet of Russia to her pre-medical studies, where she had a profound epiphany that breath is the unifying language of the human species. The conversation explores the deep intelligence of the physical body and how conscious breathing can be used to release deep-seated trauma, cultivate presence, and facilitate exceptional healing. Jessica also opens up about her deeply personal role in guiding Louise's family through the darkest days of Archer's high-c spinal cord and pulmonary injury, using remote breathwork to help him wean off a ventilator when doctors believed it was impossible. Touching on her book, Breathwork and Psychotherapy, Jessica discusses the vital importance of weaving somatic practices with ethical frameworks to support individual and global wellness, proving that our greatest tool for healing and connection is hidden in our very next breath.
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
Contact the Inspiration Consciousness School and Community: essence@inspirationcommunity.org
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Mar 18, 2026
Wednesday Mar 18, 2026
The Groundbreaking BrainGate Clinical Trials with Dr. Lee Hochberg
Louise talks with Dr. Leigh Hochberg, a critical care neurologist, professor of engineering and brain science at Brown University, and the director of the groundbreaking BrainGate clinical trials. Dr. Hochberg shares how his early experiences, particularly watching his grandmother navigate Alzheimer’s disease, sparked a lifelong curiosity about the brain and nervous system. He recounts his path from those childhood observations to his college years at Brown, where a lecture on neurotransmitters captivated him and set him on a course toward neurotechnology. Dr. Hochberg explains the profound implications of his current work, which involves surgically implanting a sensor into the motor cortex to decode the brain's electrical signals. This technology allows people with severe paralysis to control computers, robotic arms, and even generate spoken words simply by thinking about the movement. They discuss the unbelievable resilience of the patients who pioneer these trials and envision a future where paralysis may no longer mean the loss of mobility or voice.
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
Implantable Brain-Computer Interface Collaborative Community: https://www.ibci-cc.org/
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Mar 11, 2026
Wednesday Mar 11, 2026
A Paraplegic Harvard Scientist's Neuronal Regeneration Quest While Living in a Non-Accessible World, even in the Ivy League
Louise sits down with Jason Biundo, a PhD student at Harvard Medical School whose life and career were profoundly shaped by a severe spinal cord injury. In 2019, while studying neuroscience as an undergraduate, Jason survived a devastating rock climbing fall from the wall that left him paralyzed below the waist. He shares the surreal experience of understanding the exact neurological science of his trauma while lying in a hospital bed, and how that realization fueled his pivot toward studying neuronal regeneration. Jason offers an inside look at his groundbreaking research on scar modulation and how fibroblasts communicate with immune cells to repair early nervous system injuries. The conversation also tackles the hidden, exhausting realities of living as a paraplegic in spaces not built for wheelchairs, including the historic and often inaccessible campuses of the Ivy League. Jason opens up about the emotional toll of constant advocacy, the disconnect between the slow pace of academic research and the urgent needs of the spinal cord injury community, and how his lived experience makes him a uniquely powerful force in the lab and for accessibility awareness and change.
Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org
You can learn more about Jason's work at the Stevens Lab here: https://www.stevenslab.org/jason-b
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Mar 04, 2026
Wednesday Mar 04, 2026
Engineered Neuroplasticity and the Future of Spinal Cord Recovery with Dr. Chet Moritz
Louise is joined by Dr. Chet Moritz, the Hwang Endowed Professor at the University of Washington and Director of the Restorative Technologies Laboratory. Dr. Moritz shares his unique journey from studying the biomechanics of insect flight to pioneering the field of engineered neuroplasticity. They discuss his lab's groundbreaking work in non-invasive spinal stimulation and the monumental FDA approval of the ONWARD ARC-EX device, a technology helping individuals with chronic paralysis regain hand and arm function. Dr. Moritz explains how transcutaneous electrical stimulation primes the spinal cord to listen to the brain again, unlocking voluntary movement without surgery. The conversation also explores the profound off-target benefits of this technology, such as autonomic nervous system regulation, and details his lab's moonshot goal to cure paralysis using optogenetics. Listeners will gain an inside look at the science of connection and the new era of engineered recovery.
You can learn more about Dr. Moritz's work at the Restorative Technologies Laboratory here: http://depts.washinRestorative Technologies Laboratorygton.edu/moritlab/
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Feb 25, 2026
Wednesday Feb 25, 2026
Finding Your Tribe After Spinal Cord Injury and the Power of Disability Experience for All
Louise sits down with Reveca Torres, an artist, filmmaker, and the executive director of Backbones, a nonprofit connecting people with spinal cord injuries to their communities. Reveca shares the story of her injury at age thirteen during a family car accident in Mexico and the unexpected isolation she felt despite having a large, supportive family. She opens up about the pressure to mask her negative emotions to protect her loved ones and the profound shift that occurred when she finally connected with peers who shared her lived experience. This realization led her to found Backbones, creating a vital network of peer support that she herself once needed. The conversation explores Reveca's groundbreaking work at the intersection of disability and art, including her journey to becoming the first wheelchair user to earn a fashion design degree at Harper College. She discusses her Tres Fridas project, which reimagines historical artists through a disability lens, and her upcoming film, While We Are Here. Through her art and advocacy, Reveca proves that disability is not a deficit but a vital part of the human experience with a benefit for our Oneness.
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Resources
Learn more about Reinventing the Wheel: http://vmuseum.com/rtw/
Backbones: https://www.backbonesonline.org/about-us
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Feb 18, 2026
Wednesday Feb 18, 2026
Crossing the Valley of Death in Medical Research through Sound at HEPIUS Innovation Labs
Louise sits down with Dr. Amir Manbachi, an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University and the founder of HEPIUS Innovation Labs. Dr. Manbachi shares his unconventional path from a talented musician to a physicist and neurosurgery researcher, revealing how the physics of sound inspired a breakthrough in spinal cord visualization. He explains the development of the MUSIC device, a tiny implantable ultrasound tool designed to provide real-time data on the spinal cord immediately after injury.
They discuss the critical black box problem in current surgery, where surgeons often lack visibility into the cord's status once the operation is finished. Dr. Manbachi highlights the challenges of bringing such life-changing technology from the lab to the patient, describing the financial gap known as the valley of death in medical research where funding often dries up. Reporting from Washington D.C., they explore the urgent need for federal support to bridge this gap and the potential for ultrasound to revolutionize the standard of care for spinal cord injuries.
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Resources
Learn more about Amir: https://www.bme.jhu.edu/people/faculty/amir-manbachi/
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
Surviving the Crash: A 17-Year-Old’s Lifelong Journey from Stud to Survivor
Louise talks with Rick Futia and his nephew, Jag Jefferson, about the 1982 accident that altered the course of Rick's life forever. At seventeen, Rick was an athletic powerhouse whose identity was entirely wrapped up in his physical strength and studious caution. He recounts the eerie premonitions he felt on the day of his injury, from a lingering look at his mother to a strange reflection in a store window, before a stunt involving a tractor tire at the lake went wrong.
Rick opens up about the crushing depression that followed the loss of his physical abilities and the struggle to find worth when his body was no longer his calling card. He describes a pivotal moment in the hospital involving a roommate who could only communicate with her eyes, a realization that shifted his perspective on his own survival. Joined by Jag, the author of the new memoir Rickicello, they discuss how Rick refused to shrink away and instead reinvented himself into one of the Bay Area's most eligible bachelors, finding a new kind of strength and resilience.
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Resources
Rickicello: The Rockstar Life of a Paraplegic Paisan: https://www.amazon.com/Rickicello-Rockstar-Life-Paraplegic-Paisan-ebook/dp/B0G5Z4PZFZ
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
Love, Prejudice, and the Search for Peace with Cole and Charisma Sidnor
In this episode, we are invited into the vibrant and vulnerable world of Cole and Charisma Sidnor, the couple behind the popular YouTube channel Roll with Cole and Charisma. Their story begins with a pivot that changed everything, as Cole navigates the shift from a sixteen-year-old athlete with dreams of college sports to a young man learning to live with quadriplegia. We explore how a chance meeting at a rehabilitation center sparked a romance that would eventually challenge societal norms and open a window for millions to witness the reality of an inter-abled, interracial relationship.
Our conversation goes far beyond the surface of their online persona, diving deep into the complexities of facing public scrutiny. Cole and Charisma open up about the harsh intersection of ableism and racism they encounter, the assumptions strangers make about their love, and the conscious choice to protect their peace amidst the noise. We discuss the unseen emotional labor of caregiving, the pain of their recent infertility journey, and the profound strength found in vulnerability. This is a dialogue about the resilience required to hold onto joy, the evolution of faith after trauma, and the beautiful, sometimes difficult, responsibility of being a mirror for others who yearn to see themselves represented in the world.
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Resources
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA5Zfb-OOm7eDHHa8iu9izQ
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
The Architecture of Neural Repair with Dr. Pengzhe Lu
For decades, the diagnosis of a complete spinal cord injury came with a period at the end of the sentence: no regeneration possible. But Dr. Pengzhe Lu has spent his career challenging that finality. In this episode, we travel into the microscopic world of the Center for Neural Repair at UCSD, where Dr. Lu is engineering neural stem cell grafts to act as biological bridges across the lesion site. We explore the incredible complexity of convincing axons to grow through a hostile environment and the emerging role of 3D scaffolds in rebuilding the body’s architecture. This is a conversation about the persistence of science, the definition of the miracle year when viewed through a cellular lens, and the tangible steps being taken to translate laboratory breakthroughs into restored function for SCI families, including complete injuries, waiting for a cure.
#BeginAgain #HopeforEverything
Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org
Resources
https://neurosciences.ucsd.edu/centers-programs/neural-repair/scientists-team/paul-lu.html
Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding!
BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit:
A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org.
Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation:
To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment.
To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com