In this powerful and wide-ranging episode of The Injured List Podcast, we sit down with two inspiring guests who are using their voices and platforms to make a real impact—on and off the field.
We’re joined by Sherine Blackford, founder of Loving Loic, a platform dedicated to raising awareness and funding for PKAN, a rare and devastating neurodegenerative disorder. Sherine shares her deeply personal journey, the realities families face navigating rare disease, and how advocacy, community, and purpose can rise from unimaginable challenges.
Learn more about the work she’s doing — and how you can contribute to the Super Bowl Give-Off fundraiser supporting PKAN research 👇
We also welcome actor and comedian Todd Marcel Doram, who takes us behind the scenes of doing live correspondent work from the Super Bowl, alongside Deb Whitcas and Blonde Blitz. Todd talks about the grind, the energy of the biggest stage in sports, and how humor and storytelling create connection in high-pressure environments.
This episode explores resilience, advocacy, creativity, and how people turn adversity into purpose—whether through awareness, fundraising, or entertainment.
#TheInjuredListPodcast #PKANAwareness #RareDiseaseAwareness #PurposeDriven #Advocacy #Resilience #SuperBowl #SportsMedia #PodcastInterview #Storytelling
🔗 Helpful Links:
Donate to Loic's Cause: https://givebutter.com/biggameforpkan
💙 Loving Loic Foundation
The Loving Loic Foundation was founded by Sherine and Mark Blackford in honor of their son, Loic, who was diagnosed with Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN)—a rare and fatal genetic disorder that affects as few as three in one million children. What began as one family’s fight has become a movement uniting PKAN families, researchers, clinicians, and supporters worldwide around one mission: to fund and accelerate the development of a gene therapy cure.
In just two years, the Foundation has raised over $2.5 million, directly supporting groundbreaking PKAN gene therapy research led by Oregon Health & Science University and the Horae Gene Therapy Center at UMass Chan Medical School. This work builds on two decades of scientific progress and is designed to move a promising gene therapy from laboratory studies into human clinical trials.
This Super Bowl, we’re channeling rivalry energy into something bigger than football.
Loic is in Boston right now receiving treatment at Boston Children’s. So we’re hosting a Patriots vs. Seahawks rivalry donation war—two teams, one mission: fund the work that could save kids with PKAN, including our gene therapy research efforts with OHSU and the Horae Gene Therapy Center at UMass Chan Medical School.
Our strategy is bold—because the timeline is urgent:
Secure the remaining funding needed to complete pre-clinical studies and initiate Phase I/II trials
Strengthen partnerships among families, scientists, and donors to accelerate development and regulatory readiness
Expand awareness of PKAN and rare diseases to drive advocacy and support
How it works: pick your team, donate, and share. The team that raises the most earns bragging rights—but the real winners are the kids and families who can’t wait.
Every effort is guided by the belief that no child’s life is too rare to matter. Together, we’re transforming heartbreak into hope—and hope into action—for children like Loic and for generations to come.
Loving Loic YouTube Channel
@lovingloic on Social Media
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The Injured List Podcast:
YouTube Channel
Website: www.theinjuredlist.com
🎙️ Captivate:
🎧 https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-injured-list-pod/
Mentioned in this episode:
NeuroGuard+ Mouthguards
Elevating Athlete Safety and Performance
Dr. Hutchinson created the NeuroGuard+ as a means to maintain your physiological jaw position regardless of your bite. The appliance is designed to optimize your upper–lower jaw relationship to improve your strength, your balance, your oxygen intake, and drastically lower your chance of a concussion. Unlike traditional mouthguards, NeuroGuard+ is medically patented and designed to reduce G-forces from impact. It helps athletes maintain physiologic jaw alignment, increase strength, and perform at their best, making it a future-ready solution for athlete safety.
For research and data info, click the link below:
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Merchandise 👕
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🏈 The Injured List Podcast is proud member of 🔊 That Sports Podcast Network. 🎙️Tune in to their YouTube 📡 channel for the latest in Sports News and Entertainment!
Mentioned in this episode:
NeuroGuard Plus MouthGuards
Elevating Athlete Safety and Performance
Dr. Hutchinson DDS, has harnessed the latest in neuromuscular dentistry and impact technology to develop a mouthguard that does more than protect; it enhances.
NeuroGuard+ isn't just a mouthguard; by focusing on the jaw's physiological position, it provides an added layer of neuroprotection, significantly reducing the risk of sports-related neurological injuries.
All athletes should be using a custom mouthguard designed to their bite position. Dr. Hutchinson created the NeuroGuard+ as a means to maintain your physiological jaw position regardless of your bite. The appliance is designed to optimize your upper–lower jaw relationship to improve your strength, your balance, your oxygen intake, and drastically lower your chance of a concussion.
Unlike traditional mouthguards, NeuroGuard+ is medically patented and designed to reduce G-forces from impact. It helps athletes maintain physiologic jaw alignment, increase strength, and perform at their best, making it a future-ready solution for athlete safety.
