A Recovery Now

This is a powerful show you won’t want to miss! Whether you’ve survived a terrorist attack, a natural disaster, or a personal tradegy like our brain injuries, we all have a common bond.

My guest tonight is Anthea Appeal, who spent 20yrs with the NYC Police Dept. She was a first responder on 9-11, retired shortly after, and will share her experience with us. www.antheaappel.com

My second guest was to be SSgt Tim Chambers, better known as the “Lone Marine” of Rolling Thunder. He was stationed in Washington on 9-11, and one of the first to make it to the Pentagon, to save lives. Unfortunately he was detained and unable to make it, with regrets.

Cristabelle Braden is a singer, songwriter, speaker, author, worship leader, and founder of Hope After Head Injury. After suffering a traumatic brain injury as a teen, she has overcome barriers never dreamed possible, including graduating from college, releasing three albums of original music, and touring the country as a singer and speaker on brain injury. She never wrote a song before the brain injury, but within the first month of recovery songs started pouring out of her. This has given her great resolve to encourage and empower others going through similar circumstances.

In 2017 she released an original EP entitled Hope Survives, with songs about her journey through brain injury. She’s toured all over the country to sing and speak at a variety of venues, all of which she continues.

The hope Cristabelle lives out each day shines through on stage and off, as she shares her emotional journey with a sweet sincerity and a wisdom far beyond her years. Her music tells her story through songs narrating the struggle of finding hope through the darkest times, never giving up, and continuing to fight despite the most difficult circumstances. Through her journey of recovery, Cristabelle grew more and more passionate about TBI support and awareness, and now has become very active as an advocate for brain injury.

For more information and tour dates, visit cristabellebraden.com. For more about Cristabelle’s work with brain injury, visit hopeafterheadinjury.com

Many Thanks to Shane Smith Law & Kiley Como for their invitation. I'm used to being on the other side of the Mic, voice in the night. Here I'm live discussing the deep dive!

I recently joined Mind Matters to share my journey, the challenges I have faced, and some of the lessons I have learned along the way.

I hope this conversation helps others feel less alone and encourages anyone navigating brain injury or recovery to keep moving forward.

Watch the full episode here:

Part One: https://youtu.be/H3DAEJ3V5k8
Part Two: https://youtu.be/PV226uuukv4

Please share this episode with someone who may benefit from hearing my story. Kim

On January 4, 2014 Caren Robinson was involved in a catastrophic head on collision with her youngest son. Caren’s seatbelt failed and she was ejected approximately 10-15 feet from the vehicle and sustained an initial loss of consciousness for an unknown amount of time before EMS arrived.

Caren suffered a complex high energy blunt polytrauma with multiple injuries. Some of those injuries included multiple orthopedic fractures, closed traumatic brain injury, and soft tissue injuries, along with other medical challenges.

Sharing what she learns through her recovery journey, self-led research, self-advocacy, and survival experiences have become her way of coping and healing on the inside, while her body healed on the outside.

Caren created a Web Site and Blog to help take the struggle out of finding resources and information when someone is faced with a Trauma – from a Polytrauma or Brain Injury. www.hopetbi.com

Ray Ciancaglini is a former professional boxer and renowned concussion awareness advocate who has battled Parkinson’s Syndrome and Pugilistica Dementia (CTE), the direct result of improper management of concussions during his boxing career. Ray travels the country lecturing Collegiate athletes and medical students, about proper concussion management and the possible repercussions of circumventing appropriate concussion protocol. He also speaks at TBI conferences and medical institutions about living with a traumatic brain injury, and stage 2 dementia. All speaking engagements are free of charge. Ray was instrumental in getting passed into New York State Law the Concussion Management Awareness Act of 2010 and was a contributor to the 1996 Professional Boxing Safety Act. Ray is a member of the Rochester, NY Boxing Hall of Fame and the Geneva, NY Sports Hall of Fame. His most notable awards are the Hickok Hero Award, the Golden Glove Heart Award and the Gerry Flynn Courage Award. His greatest award, however, is knowing that he is making a difference in the lives of young athletes and TBI survivors. Ray’s life story is captured in a book on Amazon, Second Impact, The Ray Ciancaglini Story by Andy Siegel (Esq) and you can visit The Second Impact website at: https://thesecondimpact.com/

Cynthia Lackner, MA is a psychotherapist in private practice who works one-on-one with people on the phone and on Skype. She specializes in Emotional Brain Training, an evidence based program that pairs neuroscience with skills and tools. EBT teaches a person to rewire the brain to diminish anger, sadness, fear in 3-6 sessions.

90% of all human suffering and disease is now caused by stress. 3 out of 4 visits to the doctor are stress related. Ms. Lackner addresses brain injuries, addictions, relationship issues, burnout, anxiety, depression, and emotional eating. Stress is an underlying component to all of these issues.

In addition to being a therapist, she has created and co-produced a documentary for PBS addressing dating violence called “Respect Me.” This documentary was submitted for an EMMY.  Cynthia has worked extensively with both male and female domestic abuse victims.

Cynthia teaches others how to have a life full of possibilities, even with brain injuries. Contact: cynthialackner.com

HAPPY 250th Birthday America!! From 1776-2026, we’ve come a LONG way baby! Many aren’t satisfied with the current state of affairs. Many are filled with pride for being part of the greatest nation on earth, and so freedom goes. From our beginnings, dissent was present. Some wanted to maintain loyalty to the crown, others wanted to claim the Independence absent in their country of origin. Was it graceful then and now – Not always, but we are titled The United States of America. No matter what events have divided us, we have stood together in times of National pride and common crisis.

In tonight’s show, I will do my usual annual rant about the ills of personal fireworks, the history of 4th of July celebrations of the past, historical reminders of how this great nation was formed, and top it off with some appropriately Patriotic music – and our best wishes for a safe, happy holiday. Gratitude for the original Veterans, and every one throughout our history. Land of the Free, Because of the Brave.

Want to thank Veteran & Prayer Warrior, Dave Bray (davebrayusa.com) for his permission to use his Patriot Music. Dave was my guest for the June 24, 2020 show, found at my site inaflash.org

Born and raised in Kennewick, Washington, Jennifer’s life changed forever in 1983 when a drunk driving accident at Columbia Park drastically altered her path. At just 18 years old, driving in her MG, she sustained a severe traumatic brain injury to her left frontal lobe. In an era when public and medical understanding of brain damage was in its infancy, Jennifer famously remembers, "I came out of the hospital thinking I was fine, but I wasn't."

​Decades before the modern resources we have today, Jennifer had to navigate a world that didn't yet understand hidden injuries. Through sheer resilience, determination, and a passion for life, she rebuilt her world. Today, Jennifer lives in Portland, Oregon, with her dedicated husband, whom she married on June 1st, 1985. A lover of movement, family, and joy, she fills her days practicing Pilates, chasing fun adventures, and spending cherished time with her husband and daughter. Jennifer Nice joins us today to share her decades-long journey of survival, the evolution of TBI awareness, and what true resilience looks like.

Marc McNeice is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist, brain injury survivor, neuroeducator, counselor, and advocate in long-term recovery. A survivor of more than 15 traumatic brain injuries that went undiagnosed for decades, Marc’s life has taken him through addiction, homelessness, psychiatric hospitalization, incarceration, and eventual recovery.

Today, Marc works at Alternative Living Centers in Massachusetts, where he helps implement brain injury screening and neurologically informed education within substance use treatment. He has helped conduct more than 350 brain injury screenings using the NASHIA OBISSS system, with approximately 97% of screened individuals showing a history consistent with brain injury.

Marc’s mission is to help treatment programs, justice systems, and recovery communities “stop the bleeding” by identifying brain injury earlier, reducing misdiagnosis and shame, and giving people practical strategies to understand and manage their brains. His work sits at the intersection of brain injury, addiction, trauma, mental health, homelessness, and criminal justice reform.

John T. Krotec is an entrepreneur, speaker, writer, and Army veteran.  After college, he went to work in corporate America and realized that despite doing well in the job, he wanted something more. He joined the Army later in life with the purpose of serving his Country. The Army taught him discipline and how to value himself. After three years of Active Duty, he left the Army and returned to civilian life. It was then that he got reacquainted with his future wife, helping her to raise a family. Together they also successfully ran a business for over two decades, selling travel gear and clothing.

In 2012, John hit rock bottom and survived a traumatic brain injury caused by an alcohol-fueled traffic accident. This unleashed his demons and forced him to finally cope with the trauma he experienced at a young age. Over this time, he almost lost his marriage and family. With months of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Hemp-Based Pharmaceutical (CBD) treatment, he developed his own healing system by using creative pursuits for coping with trauma and saving his marriage in the process.

John is currently involved with several creative businesses and holistic healing pursuits, which include: NeoMasculinity.Solutions, The Poetic Human, and Task Force Zen, Legacy Makers TV Series (Inside Success TV), and now, The People’s Artist sponsored by Johnny Depp.

NeoMasculinity Solutions Website: https://www.neomasculinity.solutions/

John T. Krotec Website: https://johntkrotec.com/

FreedomZone Hero Website: https://freedomzonehero.com/

The Art of Elysium: https://www.villagevoice.com/from-emerging-voices-to-the-oscars-how-the-art-of-elysium-is-launching-breakthrough-talent-and-the-peoples-artist/

The People’s Artist VOTING LINK: https://peoplesartist.org/2026/john-krotec