Radio Shows

Chris Nowinski is co-founder and executive director of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to solving the sports concussion crisis through education, policy, and research. He also serves as co-director of the BU CTE Program. Nowinski also serves on the NFL Players Association Mackey-White TBI Research Committee, the Ivy League Concussion Committee, Positive Coaching Alliance National Advisory Board, and as a consultant to Major League Lacrosse. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Behavioral Neuroscience at Boston University School of Medicine.

Chris’ interest in brain trauma stems from personal experience. An All-Ivy defensive tackle for the Harvard University football team, after graduation, he began working for the life sciences consulting firm Trinity Partners, LLC. While there he decided to explore his passion for professional wrestling, and enrolled in wrestling school at night. Eighteen months later, in 2002, he debuted on WWE’s flagship program Monday Night RAW. From there he gained new perspective on concussions, also penning his book Head Games. See: concussionfoundation.org

Last week we heard from Charlie, an ABI survivor .. This week we’ll be hearing from the other half, in another family. Just under 5yrs ago .. The lives of Ken and Judy took a turn, that would alter BOTH of their lives forever. This dynamic is playing out in so many homes arcoss the world. Not only do we survivors experience major life changes, but loved ones and caregivers are faced with their own set of challeges. Join us to hear a profound exampe of how the whole family is impacted.

Charlie was 42 years old and in the process of trying out for AAA baseball with the Texas Rangers. He was happy, life was good .. Then he got the phone call after a routine physical, that would change his life forever.

Dr. Stephen Larsen funded Stone Mountain Center in 1989.. After twenty years of seeing biofeedback enhance quality of life for the college students he taught, Dr. Larsen decided to bring its healing and optimizing influence to his psychotherapy practice. The results were so positive that in 1996 he retired from his psychology professorship and went into full time clinical practice and writing. In the twelve years since then, his practice has grown exponentially with a satellite office in New York City, and several affiliates in the Hudson Valley of New York. Now incorporated as Stone Mountain, PC, the center treats a wide variety of patients with CNS problems: anxiety and depression, brain injury and trauma, attention and learning problems and sleep disorders.Through the not-for profit Center for Symbolic Studies, which sponsors personal growth seminars and educational projects, SMC also conducts trainings for professionals who wish to learn the LENS form of neurofeedback. See stonemountaincenter.com

My guest is Debra Pyka, a mother who is trying to bring awareness to not only prevent suicide, but to warn of the dangers of sports and head trauma to our youth. She will be discussing her son Joseph’s life story, playing sports, CTE which led to years of depression and ultimately, his suicide. Joseph’s brother Seth will join us, since they played sports all through their childhood together. She has tried to contact politicians, White House and Michelle Obama, with no one concerned or responding to her. She also wants to shed light on the responsibility of the NFL with the research started 20 years ago, to warn all parents of the dangers of concussions/head trauma and future effects, which the NFL denied for many years. More young people are dying from sports related injuries than ever. sportslegacy.org/research/legacy-donors/joseph-chernach Debbie was one of the Mom’s who among many, including Kimberly Archie, went to the Capital last month during Brain Injury Awareness Month 2016.

Twice a month, long time Friday host Kevin Phillips, is on leave until July. We wish he and his co-host Marvelous Maggie, smooth sailing and well wishes in their time away! Kevin has been most recently doing shows on the 1, 3, 5th Friday … And Isis Sarran-Pagan has been artfully acting as the 2nd & 4th Friday Host since last fall. Isis has graciously volunteered to step in as temporary host every Friday! If you’ve met her, you’ll love to hear more of her; if you haven’t met her yet, this is a great time on Friday nights!

This arrangement will begin in May. You guessed it. That means tonight was open as the last Friday of April! Regular weekly Wednesday night host, Kim Justus, will be sitting in the first chair.

As an opener, we have the pleasure of hearing an incredible story from Dale Hayes, founder of the band Garfan. If you don’t believe in miracles, this is one you won’t want to miss! From a tragic situation after his wife’s brain injury, there’s a poerful message of hope! Hear about what’s going on with Deb, as well as good news about Garfan’s new release – Hot off the press! For their music, see www.Garfan.com and Like on facebook.com/garfanband

Dr Cheryle Sullivan worked solo many years, as a family physician in private practice in Michigan and as a family physician-clinic administrator in Colorado.

In 2002, a skiing accident caused a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that ended Dr. Sullivan’s medical career. Dr. Sullivan now follows her passion, raising awareness about brain injury among the general public as well as in health care providers. She has presented on topics related to brain injury to the general public, medical providers, educators, vocational rehabilitation staff and military staff and troops. She is the author of the book Brain Injury Survival Kit, 365 Tips, Tricks and Tools to Deal with Cognitive Function Loss and contributing author for the book Chicken Soup for the Soul, Recovering From Traumatic Brain Injury. See tbijourney.com

Marcy Mudd’s family was going along great, until daughter Madeline was struck by tragedy. Many of the survivors we speak with, were adults when they faced the reality of life and death situations. Tonight we’ll here from a mother and daughter who faced down the monster of an aneurysm, how they handled it, and why circumstances led them to become very vocal advocates through JoeNiekroFoundation.org

Cynthia Stein LPT MEd Is a licensed physical therapist in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. She specializes in treating concussion patients who do not get better with standard vestibular care. She owned Squirrel Hill Physical therapy for many years where she specialized in alternative treatment techniques such as craniosacral therapy, myofascial release, lymphatic drainage therapy and nasal release technique for treating the structural problems caused by concussion. Since Cynthia’s retirement from herpractice at the end of Dec, she am devoting her time to teaching nasal release technique and lymphatic drainage therapy for concussion. These classes are attended by physical therapists, chiropractors, naturopaths and physicians. Cynthia’s goal is to disseminate this highly effective work and have it researched so that it can be evidence based. See: conquerconcussion.com and her teaching website is nasalreleasetechnique.com

No it’s not an April Fool that the past two night’s shows haven’t been live. TONIGHT IS, with Kim Justus and a Spring Thang! Call in and help with the discussion, a few laughs … Or next time it’ll be another tape 🙂

Unfortunately Joey Giggles has a bad case of seasonal allergies and lost his voice. Ms Kimmy the Vulcan is MIA tonight, but they’ll be back next week when the Claritin kicks in!

Tonight is the night for you to shine. CALL IN & let’s make it a party!! One thing we’ll discuss is a study that poses the question, Could Excessive Time on Social Media Be Linked to Depression? I tell you what the study determined, and you can weigh in on that, or anything else on your mind. Good talk, good tunes.