Blink of an Eye

blinkofaneye

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.

  1. 6D AGO

    #302 Finding Your Tribe After Spinal Cord Injury and the Power of Disability Culture

    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

    1h 1m
  2. FEB 18

    #301 Crossing the Valley of Death in Medical Research through Sound at HEPIUS Innovation Labs

    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

    1h 12m
  3. FEB 11

    #300 Surviving the Crash: A 17-Year-Old’s Journey from Stud to Survivor

    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

    59 min
  4. FEB 4

    #299 Love, Prejudice, and the Search for Peace with Cole and Charisma Sidnor

    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

    1h 5m
  5. JAN 28

    #298 The Architecture of Neural Repair with Dr. Pengzhe Lu

    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

    1h 11m
  6. JAN 21

    #297 A Raw Look at Redefining Possibility

    A Raw Look at Redefining Possibility  How do you rewrite your life's story when the plot twists become unbearable? Louise joins author Rebecca Faye Smith Galli to navigate the intersection of profound grief and the sudden onset of Transverse Myelitis. Unlike acute traumatic injury, this rare inflammatory condition presents a unique medical puzzle, attacking the spinal cord from within. Becky shares how she processed the paralysis that followed, a diagnosis that arrived amidst the heartbreaking loss of her brother and son. They explore the biology of resilience, the difference between surviving and healing, and how writing became a tool to document the intrigue of a body and life transformed. This conversation challenges the pressure to be positive, offering instead a raw look at redefining possibility when the unexpected happens. #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 Rebecca Faye Smith Galli: rebeccafayesmithgalli.com   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

    56 min
  7. JAN 14

    #296 Macrophages and the Battle for SCI Repair with Dr. John Gensel

    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 neuroscientist and the Director of the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center at the University of Kentucky. John has dedicated his career to the microscopic world of macrophages—the body's internal healing cells—and the mystery of why they behave so differently in the spinal cord than anywhere else in the human body. He shares how his lab is working to flip the switch on chronic inflammation, looking for ways to turn a person's own biology from a roadblock back into a healing and repair agent, and an ally to recent NVG-291 breakthroughs. Stay tuned as they explore the cellular frontier of SCI science and what it means for the future of personalized recovery. #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 John Gensel: https://medicine.uky.edu/users/jcge224   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

    1h 12m
  8. JAN 7

    #295 The Crash That Saved My Life with Jesi Stracham

    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 reckless lifestyle to facing the raw, unglamorous reality of paralysis, a shift that forced her to take extreme ownership of a future she hadn't planned for. Louise and Jesi discuss the disorienting first 30 days following a spinal cord injury, exploring what happens inside the body and how the understanding of such a permanent change evolves in real time. They talk about the ripple effects of trauma on family and relationships, and the pivotal moment when survival mode must transform into active rebuilding. Jesi opens up about how she channeled her innate competitiveness into becoming the first paraplegic to complete the World’s Toughest Mudder 24-hour obstacle course and how that drive led her to found the Wheel With Me Foundation. Now an author, Jesi details her journey in her new book, The Power of the Roll & Throttle, sharing the mindset required to reclaim agency and the unexpected motivation discovered through injury.   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 Jesi Stracham's new Book: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Roll-Throttle-Spinal-Injury/dp/1476698511   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

    1h 7m
4.3
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

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.