Pamela Leigh Richards joins us tonight, not only to talk about the accident that involved her brain, but the totality (so far) of the trajectory her life has taken. Pamela is a published author, poet, filmmaker, world traveler, and so much more. Her experience has led her to multiple countries and magical experiences. Pamela swam with Wild Dolphins in the Red Sea, and an Oceanic White Tip shark for example. Each pace and experience shaped who she has become.
Pamela also experienced an NDE (Near Death Experience) around the course of brain surgery, she incurred as a result of a terrible accident in January 2010.
“What I learned through all the pains and sufferings became the greatest gifts I could have been given. I thank my brother Robert for giving me the first wake up call, I thank life for the second, I thank the gift of my near fatal accident for the third, and the cannon balls in my life? Well, they taught me to fly.”
Stacy Zablocki-Gash is an educator, researcher, entrepreneur, and community-builder dedicated to transforming lives through neuroscience, faith, and experiential learning. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Neuropsychology at Wichita State University, where her research focuses on brain integration, trauma recovery, and experiential therapies that strengthen executive function, emotional resilience, and relational health. With an academic foundation in computer science, Stacy brings a uniquely analytical, systems-thinking approach to understanding the human mind and translating complex brain science into everyday wisdom that families, leaders, and communities can apply.
Stacy is the founder and executive director of Make Life Better Together, Inc., a nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore hope, renew purpose, and rebuild lives for brain-injury survivors through collaborative healing. Through this work, she integrates cutting-edge therapies, holistic education, and sustainable living practices to support individuals and families in long-term recovery.
She is also the owner of Gritty Grace Farm & Livery, a place designed for authentic connection, where visitors learn homestead living, work with animals, and experience the healing rhythm of a slower, intentional lifestyle. As a certified horse trainer and lifelong equestrian, Stacy brings the power of equine-assisted learning and trauma-informed horsemanship into her educational and therapeutic programs. For more see: makelifebettertogether.org & grittygracefarm.com
Ritaann Schultz, a proud Pittsburgh, PA native, served our nation with distinction in the United States Navy from 1974 to 1978 as an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Second Class (ABH2). After completing boot camp, she attended Aviation Boatswain’s Mate School and was stationed with Patrol Squadron 30 at NAS Pax River, Maryland, and NAS Jacksonville, Florida, where she worked with the P-3 aircraft, a critical asset in the Navy’s submarine-hunting missions.
In 1975, she broke barriers as the first Navy enlisted woman to become NATOPS qualified as a P-3 Utility Aircrewman, earning her Navy Aircrew Wings. In this role, she handled pre- and post-flight procedures, in-flight observation, emergency duties, and aircraft refueling, once again setting a historic precedent as the first woman in this position.
An avid cyclist, Ritaann has logged over 125,000 miles on her bike and competed in four Ironman competitions, even winning her age group as part of a four-person team in the 3,000-mile 2012 Race Across America. However, on February 3, 2015, while riding in a group, she was thrown off her bike at 30 mph and, despite wearing a helmet, suffered a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). It took five years for her injury to be properly diagnosed, during which she faced neuro-fatigue, vision, and cognitive challenges. Through her own research and persistence, Ritaann helped doctors recognize her condition and now advocates for functional therapy approaches that help brain injury survivors regain mobility, strength, and independence.
Denny Armington serves as President of the Youth Opportunity Foundation, Inc. It was in this role that he became aware of the need for, and involved in the development of, a new brain injury advocacy group, Brain Injury Florida. A hospital administrator by training, he has been active in professional advocacy roles. Denny has experience serving as a volunteer field surveyor for CARF International, a board member for state brain injury associations in West Virginia, Indiana, and now Florida, and a supporter of community-based charitable activities including the American Stroke Association and Special Olympics. Denny is a brain injury survivor, and we are so fortunate to have his lived experience to guide our newly developing advocacy organization. More at: braininjuryfl.org
