Allison is a therapist, author, wife, mother of 2 teenagers, breast cancer and post-concussion syndrome survivor, volunteer in her community, and now, artist. She lives in a small town north of Boston and enjoys bodysurfing in the cold New England water (more carefully now), occasionally hiking in the White Mountains…
In this episode Erin and I talk to Shana De Caro, the Chairwoman of the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA). Shana talks about the important mission of the organization; the resources available to brain injury survivors and caregivers, including what to expect for adults and children, whether that's around…
Dr. David Ellemburg is a neuropsychologist researcher at University of Montreal. Dr. Ellemburg is focused on understanding the organization and functional plasticity of the human brain during its development, recovery from brain injury and the limits of this plasticity In this episode he discusses what research is currently working on…
In this episode Erin and I talk to Ella Sofia, who is a Habit Coach and content creator at www.retrainyourbrain.ca. In January 2008, at age 14, Ella suffered a hemorrhagic stroke due to an AVM (arteriovenous malformation) rupture in her cerebellum. Ella now specializes in the mind's role in habit…
Nick Mercer (that’s me!) is the creator and writer of Concussion Talk blog – since 2010 – and host and producer of Concussion Talk Podcast – since 2015. In August 2003, while in Victoria, B.C., doing his Master’s of Public Administration at UVic, he was severely brain injured while riding…
Bella Paige is the owner of Post Concussion Inc., a website to help brain injury survivors and their families. After sustaining over 10 concussions and experiencing post-concussion syndrome for nearly 9 years, she realized that she could help others. She is also partaking in her Masters of Applied Neuroscience, focusing…
On episode 81 Erin and I talk to Ethan O'Brien and Dr. Sasha Blaskovich. Although each have unique concussion stories, and followed different paths, the two came together to co-author, "Dr. B's Concussion Breakthrough" (a #1 Amazon Best Selling Book)! We discuss their stories, concussion symptoms, Dr. Blaskovich's practice and…
Dr. Brigitta is a Naturopathic Doctor and Primary Care Paramedic with a mission to help active individuals braving concussion recovery, mental illness, and memory loss reclaim and optimize their resilient brains, naturally. With over a decade of experience as a paramedic, Brigitta has witnessed firsthand the care and management of…
In this special episode, the 'Concussions and Mental Health Student Speaker Series' event that was held on February 18th, 2021, will be released as a podcast. This initiative was organized by the Concussion Legacy Foundation chapters at Laurier, the University of Toronto, and Ryerson, and includes student speakers who share…
On episode 80, Erin and I talk to Michael Kaplen of De Caro & Kaplen, a law firm in New York that specializes in brain injury. We talk to Michael about his legal background that lead him to a focus on brain injury, and what he has learned along the…
Jordan is a Personal Trainer and a Chronic Illness Coach who has fully recovered from a Traumatic Brain Injury as well as Chronic Lyme Disease. Jordan uses his social media platforms to show what life can be like post-recovery and how to get there. Jordan believes in the power of…
On the fifth episode of BRAINIAC, Edina Bijvoet, president of the University of Toronto chapter of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, interviews Tate Paul. Tate grew up snowboarding and playing soccer, and has sustained multiple concussions. Tate also speaks to her experience playing soccer in Maine on an athletic scholarship, and…
Eryn and Mariah were good friends, then Mariah was brain injured, then Eryn was brain injured. Now they're good friends with a podcast! Inspired by their own, unique, but bonding experiences! Check out Mariah and Eryn on Making Headway Podcast! Subscribe and review!
…And seeing the positives. Laura Grabe has been playing basketball since she was 10. While playing basketball, she has suffered three concussions. While sometimes it has been tough, there is always a bright side. Concussion Chats is a podcast hosted by the McGill Students for the Concussion Legacy Foundation, with…
Curtis is a motivational speaker, who shares his stories and recovery journey of being an extremely severe traumatic brain injury survivor. On his Instagram, he consistently posts about different activities/challenges that he does to measure his recovery and to motivate others. His Instagram handle is @curtisanderson6 Concussion Chats is a…
In this important podcast, Dr. Angela Colantonio, Lin Haag, Karen Mason, Dr. Paul Van Donkelaar, Lauren Ziaks (Phoenix Concussion Recovery), ABI Reasearch Lab, and the SOAR Project, discuss the intimate partner violence (IPV) and the all-too-often ignored connection with traumatic brain injury (TBI)! Sophia Gutierez - episode 3 of BRANIAC…
Claudia is a human resources professional, diversity and inclusive advocate, longtime volunteer in the Montreal community, and a concussion survivor. In the process of returning to work she’s been faced with some challenges, but has also learned something about reasonable accommodations and disclosure of a medical condition. She hopes others…
Wendy is a retired teacher who has been dealing with chronic pain for more than 30 years and persistent symptoms of concussion for the past 3.5 years. She will be sharing some of the information she has gathered, as well as coping strategies she uses to help her manage both…
On the fourth episode of BRAINIAC, Edina Bijvoet, president of the University of Toronto chapter of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, interviews Nick Eustace, a graduate of Western University who has extensive experience with concussions. Growing up playing competitive hockey, Nick sustained many concussions, but it was a few major concussions…
Louis, currently enrolled at Carleton University, is a former Rugby player, and athlete, who retired prematurely due to numerous concussions. He now spends his time playing and listening to music, reading and working out. We discuss acceptance and self-blame after concussion. Concussion Chats is a podcast hosted by the McGill…
Dr. Hilary Duncan is a clinical psychologist with over 10 years of professional experience, including 8 years at Concordia University where she completed specialized training in neuropsychological assessment. Her training includes positions at the ADHD Clinic of the Royal Victoria Hospital, The Jewish General Hospital Memory Clinic, and the Johns…
On episode 77 Jill Wheatley, Mountains of my Mind, tells the story of how a baseball to her head in Germany has led her to Nepal. Jill's story is about hopes, dreams, and their fluidity. How they change, yet bring even greater joy!
Marc suffered a concussion almost 9 years ago playing basketball. He has been collecting ways of dealing with his symptoms ever since. He is an educator in a learning centre, a part-time professor and a proud father. A short description, but an excellent, inward looking talk. Marc understands that the…
David first became injured in August of 2006 following 2 mTBIs within 10-minutes. He also suffers from fibromyalgia and PTSD amoungst other injuries and damages. Learning to free himself form an unhelpful medical system was the best move he ever made and it kept him alive to this day. He…
