Blink of an Eye

Macrophages and the Battle for SCI Repair with Dr. John Gensel What happens when the cells sent to heal the body after a bodily trauma decide to stick around, becoming a permanent roadblock to recovery, as they do in acute SCI?  Is it possible to reprogram the immune system to stop standing guard over the damage and instead open the pathway for repair? Louise sits down with Dr. John Gensel, a neur...

The Crash That Saved My Life with Jesi Stracham Can a tragedy actually save your life? It is a paradoxical question, but for Jesi Stracham, the moment that broke her body was the catalyst that fixed her life. In 2015, a motorcycle accident resulted in a T4 complete spinal cord injury, stripping away her physical mobility but granting her a sudden, terrifying clarity. Jesi transitioned from a reckl...

Inside Stem Cell Research for Spinal Cord Injury With Dr. Mark Tuszynski What can stem cells actually repair after a spinal cord injury, and where are the boundaries? What learnings might be drawn from ALS, MS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s for SCI research? How should patients and families interpret early clinical SCI trial results? And what does a therapy like NervGen mean for the broader research...

#293 Revisiting Blink: A Holiday Special, He Talked with God In this holiday revisit, Blink of an Eye returns to He Talked With God, a moving episode from Season 1 that explores the intersection of catastrophic injury, faith, and human resilience. Spinal cord injuries often occur suddenly, frequently while people are away from home, often on vacation, and unprepared for how quickly life can change...

The Future of SCI Neural Repair With Dr. Andrew Stewart What does it mean to rethink spinal cord injury recovery when the world has told you that healing has a limit? How do you hold on to hope when science, for decades, insisted that the chronic stage of SCI was a closed door? And what happens when new research begins to challenge those long-held assumptions, inviting us into a different kind of...

Shot, Survived, and Still Rising: The Life of Damon Walker What happens when everything changes in a single moment—not just from SCI but from an unexpected kind act of a stranger? Damon Walker was living fast, avoiding reflection, and giving little thought to tomorrow—until the gunshot. The sudden spinal cord injury that followed didn’t just take away physical mobility; it demanded emotional hones...

Today, Louise shares a personal, heartfelt reflection on gratitude—what it really feels like and why it matters   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...

#289 Can Strength Grow Through Adaptation? Mason Says Yes Today, Louise sits down with 22-year-old adaptive athlete and social media standout Mason Branstrator. You may know him from Instagram — modeling brands like Spoonie Threads and showing off wheelchair attachments like Firefly and Freedomtrax — but today we get to know the person behind the posts. Mason takes us back to the skiing accident a...

#288 SCI in Sci-Fi for Young Adults with Kimber St. Lawrence In this season 6 premiere of Blink of an Eye, Louise sits down with Emmy-winning producer and debut novelist Kimber St. Lawrence. Kimber’s novel, Thirsty Ground, is a young adult sci-fi story that begins with a life-altering accident—one that challenges her protagonist to find meaning, identity, and hope in a transformed world. Through t...

#276 Understanding the chemistry of NVG-291’s efficacy for Rewiring SCI Recovery with Inventor Dr. Brad Lang Brad Lang, PhD, is the neuroscientist and biotech inventor of the ISP drug, the basis of the NVG-291 trials which recently showed efficacy. His work has helped pave the way for one of the most promising new treatments for spinal cord injury in decades. Brad shares the story of how his early...

Revisiting: Inside the NervGen NVG-291 Trial: Part I Today we’re joined by Larry Williams, a participant in the NervGen Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for NVG‑291, an experimental therapy designed to promote nerve regeneration and restore function in people with spinal cord injuries. Larry takes us through his personal story—from the mountain biking accident that changed his life to the unexpected pat...

Season 4 Episode 19 - Dear Louise: A Conversation with Gabriel Rodreick In a world where life's unpredictable twists and turns can sometimes bring us to our knees, one man's journey stands as a testament to the indomitable human spirit. Gabriel Rodreick, known to many as Freaque, found himself at a crossroads in 2008 when a Spinal Cord Injury accident, C5 complete,  altered the course of his life,...

Season 4 Episode 14 - Dear Louise: A Conversation with WAGS of SCI  Elena Pauly and Brooke Pagé, both caregivers to partners with recent Spinal Cord Injuries, felt the deep isolation that comes with their role. Their connection on Instagram, fueled by their close proximity in Vancouver, became a lifeline. In November of that year, they birthed WAGS of SCI on Instagram, a community that not only ho...

Season 4 Episode 12 - Dear Louise: A Conversation with Matthew Rodreick Matthew Rodreick serves as the Executive Director at United 2 Fight Paralysis, an organization at the forefront of the battle against paralysis. Through his leadership, he continues to amplify the voices of those impacted by SCI, pushing for groundbreaking research, fostering innovation, and advocating for comprehensive suppor...

Season Finale: NerveGen with Meghan Morrow Join Louise in this heartfelt finale of Season 4, where we dive into a journey exploring incredible medical innovations in spinal cord injury recovery.  Meet Meghan Morrow, one of the driving forces along with Dr. Monica Perez in the groundbreaking NervGen trials at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago.  From crafting affordable devices for stroke and...

Canadian Paratriathlete Leanne Taylor A biking accident left our next guest paralyzed from the waist down. However, instead of succumbing to despair, she made a bold decision while in the hospital – to become a paratriathlete. Just eight months after her injury, she completed her first paratriathlon, showcasing adaptability, resilience, and peak performance. Leanne's story extends beyond sports; i...

Season 4 Episode 18 - Trauma Healing Learning: Invaluable Wisdom and Integration with Amy Fox  In today’s episode, Amy Elizabeth Fox, the founder and CEO of Mobius Executive Leadership, offers a wealth of invaluable insights on why personal trauma healing is essential for leaders. With a rich background spanning senior leadership consultancy, public speaking, and empowering corporate leaders, Amy'...

#279 The Universal Laws of Change: Habits of Mind to Live into an Integrated Life despite an Uncertain Future with Futurist Cecily Sommers In this season finale on Living a Life of Integration after major life changes, Louise sits down with Cecily Sommers, global trends analyst, futurist, and author of Think Like a Futurist. Their conversation explores the universal nature of change—how it unfolds...

#278 The Long Arc of Living a Life of Trauma Integration and Resilience with Dr. Ann Kaiser Stearns Louise sits down with Dr. Ann Kaiser Stearns, a psychologist, educator, and bestselling author whose work has touched millions through her books, lectures, and decades of teaching. In this conversation, she shares insights from more than 30 years of research and clinical experience on the long-term...

#277 Embracing Disability Identity as part of Living a Life of Integration with Anthony Tusler  Louise sits down with Anthony Tusler, a writer, photographer, advocate, and educator who has lived with a spinal cord injury for over 70 years. Anthony reflects on his journey of embracing his disability identity in the activism of the 1970s, a turning point that shaped his life’s work in education, com...

#276 Understanding the chemistry of NVG-291’s efficacy for Rewiring SCI Recovery with Inventor Dr. Brad Lang Brad Lang, PhD, is the neuroscientist and biotech inventor of the ISP drug, the basis of the NVG-291 trials which recently showed efficacy. His work has helped pave the way for one of the most promising new treatments for spinal cord injury in decades. Brad shares the story of how his early...

#275 Post-Traumatic Resilience for Living Fully After Spinal Cord Injury with Maria Sirois, Psy. D. On today’s episode, Dr. Maria Sirois shares her perspective on how trauma reshapes the body, mind, and relationships, and why gratitude, acceptance, and connection to others are essential to healing. She talks about the ways friendships, especially for young people, can sever after trauma and why, a...

#274 Through the Storm: Scott Seely on Life, Loss, and Connection Scott Seely grew up in Southern California searching for a place to belong, trying out for every sport he could before finding his footing in water polo – and in a friendship with Tony that would last a lifetime. In this episode, Scott shares what it was like to be a part of that early team, the brotherhood they built, and the profo...

#273 Rooted in Faith, Carried by Love: Jim and Julie Schmiesing Jim and Julie Schmiesing didn’t set out to become experts in lifelong caregiving, faith under pressure, or how to hold a family together through profound change. But when their son Tony sustained a spinal cord injury at age sixteen, their world turned upside down—and their new journey began. In this look back over 45 years conversatio...

 #272 An Intimate View from an SCI Personal Attendant: Travis Callison on Decades of Personal Care and Friendship As we continue to explore living a life of integration, we talk with Travis Callison who has been by Tony Schmiesing’s side for 25 years as his personal care attendant. In this episode, Travis shares what that role really means—not just the daily routines, but the interactions, relatio...