Lights On: A NeuroMoms Collective Podcast

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Erin and Amanda welcome licensed social worker  Autumn Kuchowiak  from Rise and Thrive Wellness to explore one of the most important, and most overlooked, topics in caregiving: caring for yourself without guilt. Using the powerful concept of  Spoon Theory , Autumn explains why caregivers often experience burnout, why energy is a limited resource, and how sm...

In the second half of this moving conversation, Erin and Amanda continue talking with Marina and her mother, Annalissa, about navigating life after stroke, seizures, and brain injury. Together, they discuss the overwhelming challenges of managing healthcare, insurance, and uncertainty while a daughter suddenly finds herself caring for her mother. Despite the grief and setbacks, they reflect on the...

In this mini episode, Erin and Amanda invite the two people at the heart of NeuroMoms Collective, Dallas and Mackenzie, to share why they support the work being done through the podcast and nonprofit. They talk openly about giving permission to tell their family's story, why honest conversations about brain injury matter, and how sharing their hardest moments might help someone else feel less alon...

In this powerful first part of our conversation, Annalisa shares her journey through a rare and life-altering neurological illness that began with subtle symptoms few people recognized. What started as occasional confusion and unexplained episodes gradually escalated into seizures, a stroke, and a maze of specialist appointments that left her family searching for answers. Joined by her daughter Ma...

In the final installment of this heartfelt and hilarious conversation with therapist and podcast host Megan Campbell, the conversation turns toward identity, self-esteem, grief, and what healing can look like after brain injury. Erin and Amanda reflect on the painful tendency to search for the "missing chapters" of the lives their children once had, while Megan offers a gentler perspective: maybe...

In part two of this deeply honest and delightfully chaotic conversation, Erin and Amanda continue their discussion with therapist and podcast host Megan Campbell about caregiving, creativity, identity, and the complicated balance between joy and grief. Together, they explore how movement, art, music, mindfulness, and even dancing can become forms of healing after neurotrauma, especially when survi...

Episode 1 of this conversation with Megan Campbell is a little chaotic, wildly honest, unexpectedly funny, and somehow exactly the kind of conversation caregivers need. Megan: therapist, LCPC, art therapist, and host of the podcast I Have Shit to Say, joins Erin and Amanda to talk about grief, relationships, identity shifts, and the emotional realities of TBI recovery. What unfolds is equal parts...

In this continuation of Dallas's story, we shift from survival to connection as he and his girlfriend Marina share how they met and built a relationship after his traumatic brain injury. Their story begins at a brain injury retreat and unfolds into a grounded, honest look at dating, communication, and finding love in a new version of life. Marina offers a thoughtful perspective as both a nurse pra...

In Part 2 of this deeply personal conversation, Dallas shares the emotional and physical realities of his traumatic brain injury recovery, including the severe depression and suicidal ideation that followed his initial progress. His journey takes listeners through a complicated series of hospitalizations across the country, culminating in a life-threatening setback in 2024 when undiagnosed obstruc...

This episode of  Lights On  features a deeply personal and powerful conversation as Erin and Amanda are joined by Erin's son, Dallas, whose story inspired Erin to connect with Amanda to  create NeuroMoms Collective. Dallas shares his experience of surviving a catastrophic AVM rupture in 2022 while on active duty, leading to multiple brain surgeries, a coma, and significant physical and cognitive c...

In part two of this conversation, Erin and Amanda explore what it really means to redefine "normal" after a brain injury—both for their children and for the relationships that surround them. They share how life often evolves in real time, with adjustments happening moment by moment, from navigating sensory challenges to rethinking independence, clothing, and daily routines. The conversation highli...

In this episode of  Lights On (Part 1 of this convo) , Erin and Amanda explore one of the hardest questions families face after traumatic brain injury:  Who am I now? When a brain injury changes a survivor's body, abilities, and future plans overnight, identity can feel shattered. Erin and Amanda talk about how survivors wrestle with labels like "TBI survivor," how physical changes and scars affec...

In the second half, the conversation shifts into the realities of long-term partnership: neurodivergence, therapy, communication, and daily repair. MacKenzie and Eric talk candidly about ADHD traits, how understanding their brains helped them make sense of what "clicked" early on, and why therapy became a turning point. For Eric, navigating stigma and expectations around mental health was an addit...

In this first half of the conversation, Erin and Amanda welcome MacKenzie and her husband, Eric, into Season 2's focus on relationship shifts after TBI; specifically romantic partnership. Mackenzie and Eric share their origin story, how early disclosure of her accident did (and didn't) shape their relationship, and what "masking" looked like as she tried to be "just MacKenzie" in college. Eric ref...

In this episode of Lights On , Erin and Amanda reflect on how relationships change after a traumatic brain injury, from friendships and family dynamics to romantic partnerships and parenting young adults with TBI. They share deeply personal stories about denial, hope, missteps, and the ongoing challenge of knowing when behavior is part of recovery versus simply being human. With honesty and compas...

In this Season One wrap-up,we (Amanda and Erin) look back on how NeuroMoms Collective began: two caregivers who met through community, shared a deep urge to help, and jumped in before everything was perfectly planned.    We laugh about the early tech struggles, the learning curve of podcasting, and how far we've come in just a few months. We reflect on how meaningful it was to hear so many differe...

In Part 2 of  Lights On , the conversation shifts into the tender realities of loving someone through long-term change and loss. Olivia and Sadie reflect on how support systems, friendships, and letting themselves be kids helped them navigate trauma and distance, guilt and joy. The family shares heartfelt stories about connection, hardship, and the complex grief of relationships that look differen...

In Part 1 of Lights On , Erin and Amanda are joined by their daughters, Saydie and Olivia, for an honest conversation about what it's like to be the sibling of a traumatic brain injury survivor. Saydie shares how, at nine years old, her invisible injuries and anxiety were downplayed while the family focused on life-and-death survival, leaving her feeling frozen, overwhelmed, and guilty for years....

In this episode of Lights On , Erin and Amanda talk honestly about one of the hardest parts of TBI caregiving—realizing we can't do it alone. They share the guilt, fear, and confusion that come with asking for help, and how friends, family, and even unexpected community members stepped in before they knew what they needed. From inner-circle supporters to the wider community offering meals, cards,...

Part 2: Parenting, Partnership, and a TBI: How Communication Became the Light   In Part Two of our husbands' conversation, we explore what it took to stay connected—not just as co-parents or caregivers, but as partners. Travis reflects on how a traumatic brain injury reshaped his relationship with Amanda, and how they learned to carry the emotional and practical load together. We get honest about...

Part 1: This week we're doing something new, and deeply meaningful. In this two-part series, we're talking with the husbands of the NeuroMoms Collective founders: Erin's husband,  Carl Moyer , and Amanda's husband,  Trav Boring . For caregivers and families supporting someone with a traumatic brain injury, the partner experience often goes unspoken. Today, we're shining a light on it. In Part One,...

Part 3: We close out the series with what comes after survival: rebuilding daily life. MacKenzie talks about finding her footing in high school again and seeing the world differently. She also shares her perspective on what caregivers need—especially when they forget to ask for help. This episode is about growth, resilience, and the quiet light that leads us back into the world.

Part 2: In part two of our interview, we talk about what happens when a survivor can't advocate for their own safety. MacKenzie shares what helped protect her in those vulnerable early days, and what families can do when they're suddenly thrust into the role of medical guardian. It's a conversation about voice, boundaries, and the fierce love that shows up when it's needed most.

Part 1: We recently had MacKenzie, the daughter NMC co-founder, Amanda, on the pod. We broke her interview into 3 parts. We open this series with something rarely talked about: the power of visual memory. MacKenzie takes us inside her experience of piecing her life back together after her accident, using pictures and videos as both a timeline and a lifeline. This episode is about reclaiming your s...

In Episode 3 of Lights On , Amanda and Erin explore one of the most tender parts of the TBI caregiving journey: the people you expected to show up… and the ones who actually did. They talk openly about the grief of realizing some relationships shift or disappear during crisis, and how that grief piles onto an already unbearable moment. But woven through this episode is light — the unexpected helpe...