Blink of an Eye

 #271 Adaptive, Creative, Whole: The Shape of Integration with Tony Schmiesing In this episode—the first in our final Season 5 chapter, “Living a Life of Integration”—we talk with Tony Schmiesing, a Newport Beach native whose life changed forever after a spinal cord injury in 1980. While diving off a jetty, he struck a hidden rock and became a C4–C5 quadriplegic. Tony refused to let paralysis defi...

#270 Grief, Identity, and the Long Road to Healing Invisible Wounds with Eliza Chamblin In this episode of Blink of an Eye, we’re joined by Eliza Chamblin, a licensed clinical therapist based in New York City who specializes in trauma, identity, and emotional healing. Through her work with individuals navigating sudden change and complex grief, Eliza brings a powerful understanding of what it mean...

#269 Inside the NervGen NVG-291 Trials: Part II In Part II of our special series on the groundbreaking NVG‑291 clinical trial from NervGen, we hear from Leslie Fuller, a spinal cord injury survivor and participant in the chronic-phase arm of the study. Leslie shares her powerful personal story, beginning with the day of her injury and unfolding through the emotional landscape of trauma, uncertaint...

#269 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 path that...

#267 Surfer’s Myelopathy and a Second Life for Mike Fritschner Through The Swim with Mike Foundation Mike Fritschner was 15 years old when a family vacation in Hawaii took a sudden turn. After his first surfing lessons in shallow water, he was struck by surfer’s myelopathy—a rare, non-traumatic spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. In a single moment, everything he knew a...

#266 Exploring Neuroplasticity Changes in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury with Dr. Ann Choe What if brain scans could help unlock the mysteries of spinal cord injury recovery? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Ann Choe, a neuroscientist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University, whose work in neuroimaging is helping reshape the way we understand healing after spinal trauma. With a background...

#265 Reimagining Wheelchairs as Art with Laura Brody What if wheelchairs, walkers, and prosthetics could be seen not only as tools for access but also as works of art? In this episode, we sit down with Laura Brody—artist, costume designer, and founder of Opulent Mobility—to explore the power of reimagining mobility devices as artistic expressions. From her Los Angeles studio, Laura shares how her...

#264 Walking with Anthony: A Journey of Hope and Strength In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Micki Purcell shares the journey that led to the founding of Walking With Anthony, a nonprofit inspired by her son Anthony’s catastrophic spinal cord injury. From the moment of the accident, Micki was thrust into a world of trauma, complex medical decisions, and overwhelming financial pressures....

#263 Air Travel Tips for Spinal Cord Injury with Kim Hoog Kim Hoog brings a unique dual perspective as both a former flight attendant and mom and caregiver of Tyler, who lives with C5 incomplete SCI. She offers practical advice and heartfelt insight into air travel for individuals with spinal cord injuries. She outlines key challenges travelers who use power wheelchairs often encounter, highlights...

#262 Reinventing Yourself Post-Injury with Andrew Skinner of The Triumph Foundation Andrew Skinner shares his powerful journey of resilience and purpose following a spinal cord injury in 2004. In this heartfelt conversation, he opens up about the critical role his wife Kirsten played in his recovery, the emotional toll of navigating anger and grief, and the ways he rebuilt his life with intention...

#261 The Healing Power of Movement in Grief with Hana Kamea Kemble In this profound conversation, Hana Kamea Kemble joins Louise Phipps Senft to explore the layered experience of grief, trauma recovery, and the healing power of movement. Together, they examine how early attachment styles and childhood experiences shape our emotional responses to loss, and how grief—when unacknowledged—can manifest...

#260 Science Breakthroughs & Legislative Advocacy Now for Spinal Cord Injury Research with Matthew Rodreick Matthew Rodreick, Executive Director of Unite 2 Fight Paralysis (U2FP), joins us to explore the current landscape of spinal cord injury (SCI) research and advocacy. As the father of Gabriel, who lives with a C5 complete SCI, Matthew brings a deeply personal perspective to the fight for c...

#259 "He Walked Again" With Guy Romain  In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Guy Romain, founder of NeuroFit360, a cutting-edge neuro physical therapy clinic that’s pushing the boundaries of outpatient spinal cord injury recovery. With locations in Florida and Atlanta, NeuroFit360 is dedicated to helping clients reclaim independence and mobility through innovative, high-intensity rehab after thei...

#258 Pushing the Boundaries in SCI Rehab with Maurice-Andre Iseli PT 2 In Part 2 of our conversation with Maurice Andre, we continue exploring his extraordinary recovery journey after a spinal cord injury—this time with a focus on the power of teamwork, long-term commitment, and the support systems that fuel progress. Maurice shares personal stories from his rehabilitation, reflecting on the menta...

#257 Pushing the Boundaries in SCI Rehab with Maurice-Andre Iseli PT 1 In this powerful kickoff to our new series on Alternative Outpatient Rehab, we sit down with Maurice Andre, who shares his courageous journey following a paragliding accident that left him paraplegic. Maurice recounts the moment everything changed—his confidence in the air, the unexpected crash, and the lifesaving emergency res...

#256 Healing Grief through Movement: with Hana Kamea Kemble Today’s guest, Hana Kamea Kemble, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist specializing in trauma recovery through body-mind integration. With over 22 years of experience, Hana founded a movement-based healing program, The Movement Arc, to help individuals—including those with spinal cord injuries—p...

#255 Transformative Rehabilitation at QLI In this episode, we dive into the world of SCI outpatient rehabilitation with QLI, a step down outpatient SCI rehab facility in Omaha, Nebraska, nationally recognized for their leadership in neurological recovery. Nash Mahupete and Sara Waid share their journeys to QLI, discuss the facility’s role in the SCI universe as a step-down rehab center, and explai...

#254  How SCI Life Experience Shapes a Researcher’s Focus with Dr. Trevor Dyson-Hudson, Kessler Foundation  Dr. Trevor Dyson-Hudson's journey from a small-town upbringing to a leader in spinal cord injury rehabilitation is a testament to resilience, adaptation, innovation, and the transformative power of mentorship. A rugby accident in medical school changed the course of his life living with quad...

#253 The Body Awareness -  Happiness Connection for SCI Rehabilitation with Dr. Ann Van de Winckel In this episode, Dr. Ann Van de Winckel of the University of Minnesota School of Medicine shares cutting edge research on the role of mind-body interventions in spinal cord injury outpatient rehabilitation, emphasizing body-mapping, retrieval of body sensory memory coupled with the memory of the asso...

#252 New Research Underscores How Moment, Simulated Movement, and Sailing Unleash SCI Wellbeing With Dr. Albert Recio, The International Center For Spinal Cord Injury  In this episode, Dr. Albert Recio shares his expertise in spinal cord injury rehabilitation research, exploring cutting-edge therapies like Activity-Based Restorative Therapy (ABRT). He introduces us to the latest SCI rehab equipmen...

#251 Innovations in Assistive Technology for Spinal Cord Injury with John Morris, Shepherd Center John Morris, a senior clinical research scientist at Shepherd Center, shares his journey into assistive technology and spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Don't miss how a background in political science and multicultural studies shapes a unique perspective on accessibility and user-centered design. He...

#250 What are Model Standards of Care for Outpatient Rehab? with Hannah Redd, SRALab   In this episode, we sit down with Hannah Redd, a physical therapist specializing in neuromuscular disorders at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, one of the Model SCI Facilities in the US. Hannah offers insight into what makes a Model SCI Facility and the significance of the Model Facility research. She dis...

#249 Personalized Ongoing Out Patient Therapy: The Push to Walk Story In this episode, we talk with Cynthia Templeton, mother of Darren Templeton, who sustained a C5 incomplete spinal cord injury in July 2004 at the age of 18 after diving into shallow water at the Jersey Shore. Upon returning home, after attending outpatient therapy at a renowned SCI rehab facility in California far away from thei...

#248 The Impact of Spinal Cord Injury Trauma on a Trauma Therapist Mom with Wendy Gilchrist In this episode, we sit down with Wendy Gilchrist, a trauma therapist, mother, and advocate, to discuss the life-altering journey she and her family embarked on after her son Pato suffered a severe spinal cord injury, C4-5 incomplete, during his senior year of high school. Wendy shares what might surprise y...

#247 Which Out-Patient Rehab to Choose?  Drug Trial, Model Facility, or Immersive Group Living with Pato Gilchrist Today’s episode delves into the extraordinary journey of Patricio "Pato" Gilchrist, who became a C4-5 incomplete quadriplegic following a life-changing diving accident in 2023. Pato shares his experiences, from the immediate aftermath of the accident to his extensive recovery process,...