The Official And Now Love Podcast: www.andnowlove.com UCLA Operation Mend: www.uclahealth.org/programs/operationmend What does profound healing look like in the real world? In this uplifting episode, Cynthia Marks sits down with Dr. Madison, an occupational therapist with UCLA Health's Operation Mend — a program providing life-changing, holistic care to our nation's wounded warriors and their caregivers, entirely free of charge. Madison works on the front lines of the brain-injury treatment program, helping veterans recover from both the visible and invisible wounds of war, including traumatic brain injury and PTSD. What makes Operation Mend so special is that it treats the whole person, not a medical checklist. Madison shares how her teaching kitchen becomes a "classroom for the brain," how the program uniquely cares for caregivers too, and how a multidisciplinary team, buddy volunteers, and an intensive two-week model help warriors rebuild trust in their own abilities and rediscover who they are beneath the trauma. Woven throughout is a theme close to this show's heart: that with respect, love, and community, people can move through even the deepest trauma and rewrite their stories. It's a moving, hopeful look at healing in action — and a reminder to thank those who've served. This is And Now Love. Listen to your dreams and live from your heart. Please follow, rate, and share the podcast, and pass this episode along to someone who might need it. To learn more, support the mission, or donate, visit the UCLA Operation Mend website, and explore the Wounded Warrior Project's Warrior Care Network to learn about their partner sites. Dr. Madison appears in a personal capacity. This episode is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in partnership with UCLA Health or Operation Mend. Follow our socials: Instagram / / andnowlove.podcast Facebook / / And Now Love Podcast Youtube / / @AndNowLovePodcast TikTok / / and.now.love.podc Timestamps 0:35 — Welcome, Dr. Madison 2:57 — How Operation Mend Began 5:20 — Inside the Two-Week Intensive Program 8:16 — A Multidisciplinary Team and the Warrior Care Network 12:37 — Caring for the Caregivers, Too 23:45 — The Buddy Program and Social Connection 28:00 — Rebuilding Trust After Trauma 50:33 — The Teaching Kitchen and Lasting Change