122. Brain Injury in Veterans (Part 1): Rebuilding and Resilience
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In this episode…
Combat Deployments, Brain Injury, and Healing..?! Where does your help come from? In this two part series we’re sitting down with veterans as they share the “necessary conversations” that need to be had in our communities. Stay tuned to hear once in a lifetime stories filled with raw emotion and genuineness. Let’s discover how the heroes of our country beat the odds in the service and how they found hope after hanging up the uniform.
In this episode, host Cristabelle Braden and special co-host Jeremiah Griffin invite listeners to peek into the lives of Army Veterans: Joie Wehr and Todd Strader as they share deeply personal stories of resilience, rebuilding, and hope. Along with sharing their stories, we talk about the importance of education on brain injury, awareness of TBI and mental health in veterans, having a place to heal, and rebuilding your identity.
*Sensitive Topics: this episode discusses topics including mental health and suicide prevention in the veteran community.
Hope survives when you take action.
Meet Our Guests
Joie Wehr: SGT (e5) Joanna “Joie” Wehr. Active duty service with the U.S. Army from 2008-2016. Two combat tours in Afghanistan- Operation Enduring Freedom X-XI (2010-2011) and OEF XIII (2013). All-Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic (91B; also cross trained and earned a secondary MOS (military occupational specialty) of Automated Logistical Specialist (92A). Five years spent in EC and West Texas with aviation units: 1-4 ARB (Aviation Reconnaissance Battalion) 4th ID (Infantry Division) and 1-501 ARB 1st Armored Division and three years in a chemical unit 59th Chem- 20th CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) Command in New York.
Joie’s brain injury journey began at age 12 with a traumatic brain injury that went unrecognized for many years. Later, during a military training exercise in California before deployment to Afghanistan, she sustained a second concussion; also initially untreated. It was only after connecting with the brain injury community and finding Hope Survives Podcast that Joie began to more fully understand the impact of these injuries and how they shaped her life. She has faced challenges with memory, concentration, and cognitive processing, finding support from the VA and from peer support in the brain injury community. As a Hope Ambassador volunteer with Hope Survives, Joie is dedicated to offering encouragement and hope, reminding others that recovery is possible and that their stories continue to unfold.
Joie is a volunteer with Hope Survives on the Hope Ambassador Team.
Todd Strader: Todd Strader is the inventor and developer of the Pelta-6®, a personal protective device created to address the mitigation of repetitive low-level blast exposure. He serves as Principal Investigator and disabled veteran small business owner of OverPressured LLC and C3Mortarmen. Throughout his military career, Todd's occupational specialty required repeated exposure to low-level blast overpressure, and he has personally experienced its health consequences. Since 2019, Todd has built an online community of nearly three thousand and has collaborated on advisory committees, including the University of Pittsburgh’s Military BRAIN Health Study CAB. He has advised congressional members of the For Country Caucus and appeared in the New York Times exposé series by Dave Philipps bringing awareness to blast overpressure brain injuries. Todd shares awareness at every opportunity, from social media to the Army Mortar School and 1st Special Forces Group. A self-taught and sought-after subject matter expert, he continues to raise awareness and advocate for the military and veteran communities.
Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC’s personalized neuro-recovery programs offer hope for those suffering from Brain Injuries, Dysautonomia, Vestibular, Chronic Pain, Stroke, Movement Dysfunction, Developmental Disorders, PPPD, FND and Complex Post Concussion. Learn more: thefnc.com
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only, and not intended for medical advice. If you need specific medical advice, please consult your physician.
