The True Grit Spinal Cord Injury (TG SCI) program is a post-acute, community-based, rehabilitation program that aims to provide hope, healing, and inspiration to adolescents and young adults aged 16-21 with SCI. As a collaborative effort between Rutgers University and RWJ Barnabas Health Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH), the long-term goal of the TG SCI program is to develop a comprehensive community reintegration pathway for young adults with SCI, supporting them throughout the transition to adulthood by single day events, community building, and a residential summer camp each year. On this week's episode of the QP, I had the opportunity to speak with Kassandra Boyd, and Keara McNair. Both are occupational therapists by trade, and have been with TG SCI from day one. I was blown away by how comprehensive their program is, and I think you will be too! Please stay tuned to the very end, for a special public service announcement regarding the John McAleavey Jr. Fund.
Have I got a show for you this week! Matthew Rodreick & Jason Stoffer, co-hosts of the CureCast Podcast, are my guests. You'll hear about how spinal cord injury found its way into their lives, the work they do for and with unite2fight paralysis, and how through advocacy, education, and support for research, they continue to push for a complete and total cure for paralysis. I really enjoyed getting to know them, and I think you will too!
WAGS of SCI was founded by Elena Pauly and Brooke Pagé in Vancouver BC Canada. Both Elena and Brooke's partners had sustained recent Spinal Cord Injuries and the women felt very alone in their new lives as girlfriends and caregivers of men with sudden, life changing injuries. After a chance meeting over Instagram, they soon realized they lived just blocks away from one another. Upon developing a friendship and relishing in their newfound sisterhood, the women decided that they never wanted another woman in their shoes to feel alone again. They began WAGS of SCI by starting an Instagram account in November 2017 and hosting events around their city - and the rest is history. Elena and Brooke were kind enough to join me for this week's episode of The QuadCast.
32 and counting! I upload today‘s edition of the podcast on August 19, 2024, exactly 32 years to the day that my life changed forever. To commemorate the somber milestone (injurversary) this year, I invited accomplished occupational therapist, and good friend, Denise Diessner, to join me in studio. I hand her the keys to the show, and she questions me for a change. I hope you’ll enjoy the: “I’ll get by with a little help from my friend interview/tribute to over 3 decades of perseverance", episode of the QP. Thank you for doing this Denise, you are a natural (rockstar)!
Louise Phipps Senft is a force of nature! She has excelled at the highest levels as an attorney, an author, a professor, fellow podcaster, and following her son Archer's 2015 spinal cord injury, an amazing advocate for individuals with SCI and their families. After having spent many months in ICUs and around her son's hospital bed, Louise realized that most hospitals in the US do not have Spinal Cord Injury expertise, most families do not have mediation skills which are essential for navigating complicated health care, and most doctors are not trauma informed. So, as she has done her whole life, Louise rose to the occasion! She founded the 501(c)(3) non-profit, the Integrative Center for Trauma Healing, Advocacy, and Transformation, IC THAT, d/b/a Blink of an Eye™, in 2021 to fill the gap for more relational and trauma informed responses for SCI families in crisis bringing them cutting edge SCI medical expertise as well as hope, emotional and spiritual support, and navigation how to’s. Blink of an Eye™ is training medical teams from the inside out through the families served. Blink of an Eye™ public charity exists for those who know how life can change in the blink of an eye. Their mission is to transform the spinal cord injury experience for families and medical teams into an Extraordinary Experience, despite the devastation, in the first days and months of injury. Louise and I had a wide-ranging and candid conversation last week. I believe this episode will make you think long and hard about your life, and that of your loved ones and friends, because as we all know, it can change in the blink of an eye!
This week's edition of The QuadCast tackles the very important topics of dating, relationships, sexuality and disability, or three things I know next to nothing about, and one that I have 33 years of experience with. :-) Luckily my guest, Dr. Danielle Sheypuk, holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The New School for Social Research in New York City. Dr. Sheypuk is widely regarded as a "sexpert" and leading commentator on the psychology of all these topics for people with disabilities. She established a successful and innovative private therapy practice in 2016 that was one of the first to implement “telehealth” as a treatment platform, which she engineered specifically to make it easier for people with disabilities to attend sessions. Today she was kind enough to join me here on the QP for one of them. So, with a footnote to Salt-N-Pepa's 1991 hit song: Let's Talk About Sex, dating, relationships and disability!
Good things do come to those who wait! When I launched The QuadCast 4 years ago, I had a list of dream guests. High profile folks who didn't know this little engine that could even existed, and yet I held out hope. At the top of that list was Marc Buoniconti, and today he's here! Persistence pays off my friends. Following Marc's SCI in 1985, his father Nick set out to conquer paralysis with the same ferocity as he did quarterbacks and ball carriers over his 15-year Hall Of Fame NFL career. It was then that he and world renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Barth Green, came together and founded The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Since then, research at The Miami Project has changed the landscape of knowledge and therapeutic strategies for spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. In our wide ranging conversation, Marc shares stories about growing up around the Miami Dolphins, and such great players as Paul Warfield, Bob Griese, and Larry Csonka. He recants in great detail the weeks, days, and moments leading up to his injury, and he praises the amazing father he loved and admired. Today as the President of The Miami Project, Marc proudly continues the yeoman's work his father and Dr. Green began 38 years ago. This episode has it all, and I can't wait for you to hear it! Thank you Marc!
Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out... You are doing so right now without even thinking about it. Unfortunately, for some individuals with cervical spinal cord injuries, the ability to breath on their own is compromised, if not impossible. Enter Synapse Biomedical, and its NeuRx Diaphragmatic Pacing System, which is specifically designed to decrease the reliance on mechanical ventilators for such people. This week's episode of the QuadCast features Andrea Osborn, Clinical Specialist for Synapse Biomedical, who will tell us all about the device, and Karen Mills, who has been breathing easier with the aid of it for years now following her SCI in 2019.
The date was June 20, 1991, Ryan Baker and his family set out on a long drive from Temecula, California, to their new home/life in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. They had bought into the Häagen-Dazs ice cream franchise which was based there. As if that wasn’t cool enough, the night before Ryan had just graduated from high school. Unfortunately, his journey to the Centennial State was about to take a whole bunch of unsuspected twists and turns, and I'm not talking about on the highways. In just over two months, he will have been living with his spinal cord injury for 33 years. Over that time he has discovered a unique, and profound perspective on what recovery from SCI means to him: “For me it is not walking again. It is getting back to center with your self, spirit, and soul, contributing, working, finding relationships, engaging with other people, just really trying to participate in life again. We have to allow ourselves to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually get back to that sense of belonging and self-worth. That to me is recovery.” Among the many amazing things he has accomplished in over those 3 decades, Ryan is also the co-founder of Wheelchair Lacrosse USA (wheelchairlacrosse.com), director of sales & marketing for Vapor Wheels, and represents/sells Kinetic Balance’s adaptive clothing line intended for wheelchair users, through his website, Twisted Spine. It was my pleasure to meet/speak with Ryan on the latest episode of the QuadCast.
As someone recording a podcast aimed at, and for the benefit of the spinal cord injured community, I wasn't sure if I was alone in this lane. Well, it turns out there are a number of us out there doing just the same, one of which is Jerimie Dixon. He was still in high school when he was in a catastrophic car accident that caused his SCI and subsequent paralysis. Jerimie and some great friends founded The Live to Walk Again Foundation in 2015, to among other things: fast track a cure for paralysis, and to find new ways to improve the quality of life for patients currently living with it. In an effort to do just that, The Live To Walk Again Foundation’s podcast was born! Jerimie spotlights patients with SCI's, life hacks for paralysis victims, and researchers and doctors who are currently seeking a cure for it. Two podcast worlds collide on this week's episode of the QP, because Jerimie Dixon is my guest.
In January 2015, Jesi Stracham was the passenger on a motorcycle when it collided with a car. She woke up a week later in an intensive care unit without the use of her legs secondary to a spinal cord injury. Today she strives to help patients become people. She is the founder of Wheel With Me Foundation, the owner of Wheel With Me Consulting, and a fitness and growth coach. Through her struggles, and large social media footprint (Instagram, YouTube, etc.), she works for teaching individuals the power of our mindset. I'm thrilled because Jesi is my guest on this episode of the QuadCast.
Nick LiBassi had a great childhood growing up in Bergen County, New Jersey. He enjoyed playing many different sports and being outside with his family and friends. Remember, there were no cell phones to monopolize our time back in the day after all. Having watched and learned a great deal from his grandfather and uncle, who were carpenters, he knew early on that a life in construction and carpentry was in the cards. That is until life dealt him another hand. Nick is my guest this week, and his story is unlike any I've had the pleasure of highlighting. "From a great fall to the highest of heights", is an episode you will not want to miss!
Since 2014, Nikki Walsh has been helping others become the best version of themselves! In 2018, a car crash left her paralyzed, but in no way has it stopped her from pursuing her career goals. Nikki is a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and wheelchair user. She works with fellow wheelchair users, and non-disabled individuals, to get stronger, learn how to effectively work out in their wheelchairs, lose weight and be as independent as possible. Nikki took some time out of her extremely busy schedule to join me on the 1st episode of the QuadCast in 2024. Thank you my friend, and keep up your great work!
Touchdown Aaron! In my capacity as the Peer Mentoring Coordinator at Kessler Institute For Rehabilitation, I have had the opportunity to meet many people. Over my three years on the job however, Aaron Van Trease, and the tremendous strides he's made in recovery, has stood out above them all. His story is remarkable. It is one of football, family, friends, faith, and above all, FORTITUDE! Aaron was kind enough to carve some time out of his busy therapy schedule to join me on this week's episode of the QuadCast. Prepare to be inspired folks because the young man is amazing!
August 19, 2023 marks exactly 31 years for us on the SCI magical mystery tour. In honor of that, I thought I'd channel my inner Casey Kasem and spin some records that have, for one reason or another, stood out for me along the journey. So many songs to choose from over 3 decades, but I narrowed it down to 9. Because it has been anything but a stroll in the park, some of the songs/messages are a little heavy. The lyrics however speak volumes to, and in some cases, for me, I even chose one towards the end which pokes a little fun at me and my plight. So, grab a snack and turn your volume up, because S4 E9 - 31derful is on...
My fellow SCI survivor and thriver, Tracey Iraca, is back! Yes, she's here to tell us how she's making out these days. As you'll recall, on her last day as an in-patient at Kessler Institute, Tracey joined me to tell her story (S3 E8). It was late December 2022, she was eager to return home, but had some concerns as well. In a new format for me/us here at the QuadCast, the "New Tracey" chronicles the next step in her journey... returning to home, work, LIFE, albeit as a different person physically and mentally. We cover a lot of ground and nothing was off limits. Thank you Tracey, I'm so proud of you. Keep pushing my friend, your human spirit has a lot more in store for you!
Amanda Parezo is currently an assistant professor and academic fieldwork coordinator for the Occupational Therapy department at Thomas Jefferson University. Having graduated from TJU's OT program in 2010, she worked clinically for over 10 years, specifically with older adults and those with traumatic brain injuries. Unfortunately, on May 19, 2021, she was the victim of a random act of gun violence while sitting in a Philadelphia playground. In an instant Amanda was paralyzed from the waist down due to the bullet. Imagine the irony that the owner of a masters and a doctorate in OT, was now herself in need of occupational therapy services. Amanda's is a story you will want to hear for yourself. Lucky for you, she's my guest on this week's QuadCast.
Jen French is a very busy woman! She is an author/publisher, paralympian, public speaker, sailor, super advocate, founder of the North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium, Neurotech Network, and more. As if that were not enough, she is also my guest on this week's edition of the QuadCast! Following her spinal cord injury in a 1998 snowboarding accident, Jen has been paying it forward for the SCI community in a myriad of meaningful ways. How so you ask? Well, you'll have to listen and find out.
It is with great pride that I post this week's episode of The QuadCast. My guest is Dan Rose, a veteran who was paralyzed from the waist down when an IED destroyed the truck he was riding in in Southern Afghanistan (2010) This would not have been possible were it not for the help of two very kind, good people, Martha MacCallum and Christopher Meek. Ms. MacCallum is host of "The Story With Martha MacCallum" on Fox News Channel, and Meek is co-founder and chairman of SoldierStrong, a charitable organization which provides revolutionary technology, innovative advancements and educational opportunities to veterans to better their lives and the lives of their families. Thank you Martha and Christopher for your assist/introduction, and thank you Dan for your time and your service!
Mark Fuglevand founded Abilitease a few years ago with the vision of developing product solutions for individuals with disabilities. He makes products that not only help people become more independent, but makes them appealing and not institutional. Mark is married, has two boys, and lives in Southern California. Did I mention he is also a C-5 incomplete quad? Well, if that wasn't enough, Mark is my guest on this week's QuadCast.