Shanda Quintal

I use AI due to cognitive changes from multiple TBIs. It’s an accessibility tool. The stories, visions and voice are mine—AI helps shape the words when I can’t.

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Why I have to go now.
Like, right now.

My TBIs have rendered me disabled. I’m not incapacitated or less than. I’m just different. And this journey—this healing, halting, sacred journey—has made me more determined than ever to bring Thrive International to life.Three weeks ago, a neighbor—who was also disabled—slipped, fell, and passed away. He’d just moved his boat to my pier, four slips down. I was with his daughter when she found him. That’s how I met her.I’d let her in the gate.
She had come to check on him.
No one had heard from him for three days.It was horrible. And unforgettable.
Not just because of the trauma—but also because of what it revealed:
Being alone while disabled can be deadly.That moment made it clear:
I can’t wait any longer.
I need to be in community—not just spiritually, but physically.
I need to be somewhere care is mutual, healing is shared, and safety is real.
Emotionally. Physically. Spiritually.Right now, I’m in speech weekly therapy and physical therapy twice-weekly.
My therapists are amazing. And I’m making progress.But here’s the truth:
Trauma—and healing—can stop your entire life in its tracks.
And when you’re navigating it alone, recovery isn’t just hard. It’s dangerous.I live on a sailboat.
I’ve seen breathtaking sunsets, slept under stars, and awakened to the sounds of seagulls.
The liveaboard life once meant freedom and simplicity.But after two TBIs, ongoing vestibular trauma, and lingering complications from sepsis, it’s just no longer safe.I’ve lost my balance.
I’ve gotten disoriented.
And it only takes one fall.I’ll really miss the boat.
But I have to go.
And I have to go now.And I need your help.
The $5 GoFundMe will allow me to get my project in Belize back on track. If you can donate $1 - $5 and then share the link it will serve as social proof that people are invested in creating alternative forms of community for those who are seeking refuge from global instability or climate change or both.I am one of them. And if you have been thinking about having options, feel free to shoot me an email. Quite a few people have already reached out.Wanna know how I got here?
Read: How I got here. My TBI Story

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How I Got Here.

My journey with traumatic brain injury began with another trauma: being wrongfully terminated for challenging racial bias and discriminatory curriculum at Young Audiences Charter School in New Orleans.I stood up for my students—Black and Brown children who deserved to see themselves in the stories they were being taught—and I lost my job for it.What followed was a deep emotional and physical unraveling.The medication I was prescribed for the anxiety and depression caused dizziness. One day, I lost my balance and hit my head on the kitchen counter. That was my first traumatic brain injury (TBI). And once you’ve had one, the chances of having another increase.The second came two months later. My balance and vision were already off. I jogged directly into a glass wall, broke my nose, and blacked out. It was dusk, around 6:30 p.m.I remember it vividly. Well, the pain, at least.
I wasn’t fully unconscious—I was somewhere else.
A black velvet universe with no stars.The pain was beyond anything I’d ever felt. And I’ve had a 10-pound baby without an epidural.A security guard found me on the ground. I could hear her voice but couldn’t make out the words, except for “ambulance.” And I didn’t want to go. Somehow I tried to reassure her that I was gonna be fine. I just needed to lay there a minute. I just wanted to lie there in the dark. I don’t know how long I stayed like that, but I remember trying to claw my way back, out of the darkness—touching the ground, trying to find something familiar. The poor security guard didn't know what to do.Then suddenly, the pain disappeared.
I thought I was okay.
I wasn’t.
It was just the adrenaline masking the pain.I got up, took some Tylenol (just in case the pain decided to come back), met a friend for dinner, went home and was in bed by 10:30 p.m. But as soon as I laid down, I got a little nervous. I figured someone should probably check out my head. So, I got dressed again and drove myself to the ER.They confirmed it: another concussion. And a broken nose.The headache did come back whenI was in the ER, and didn’t let up for months. After two months of taking Tylenol every four hours, it stopped working. I couldn’t get in to see a neurologist, so I saw a physician assistant who prescribed Sumatriptan. It helped with the pain—but not with the deeper damage I didn’t yet know was there.Six weeks later, I started a job as General Manager at a performing arts center. That’s when when I found out.I couldn’t follow online instructions. I’d read something and forget it immediately—or just not understand what I was supposed to do. I had slept almost the entire six weeks before, so I hadn’t noticed how much my brain had changed.There was some gaslighting too, and administrative things that didn’t add up—but I didn’t have the bandwidth to name it then.This wasn’t about intelligence. I still knew things. But it was like my internal computer had been rewired.My hard drive was intact—
but the screen was cracked, the keyboard was missing keys,
and the speakers didn’t work right.It’s maddening.
And what makes it worse is that I “look fine.”
People couldn’t see the damage. Even those closest to me treated me like I was exaggerating or just not trying hard enough.But whether they believed me or not, I had to find a way to heal.I started researching: Lion’s Mane mushrooms. Red light therapy. Flaxseed oil. Vitamin D. I downloaded neuro games. I did puzzles. I tried anything that might help.And slowly, I started making progress.A full year after that second TBI, I finally got in to see a neurologist. He confirmed what I already knew. He prescribed physical and speech therapy. Real support. Finally.But two weeks later, I suffered another setback.I had a routine colonoscopy. I aspirated during the procedure and developed bacterial pneumonia, which turned into sepsis.That pain—what some call “cellular death”—was worse than anything I’ve ever experienced. And it affected my whole body. Including my brain.Just when I thought I was moving forward, I was pulled back again.Progress is not linear.
It goes forward and back. Then up. Then down.
Then back again.And still—I’m here.

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Cognition vs Intelligence

Before I go any further, I want to explain something most people don’t understand—because I didn’t either, not until I had to live it.There’s a big difference between cognition and intelligence.
And if you’ve never had a brain injury, you might not realize how one can be affected while the other stays intact. I know I didn't.Cognition vs IntelligenceCognition is how your brain processes information.
It’s your ability to focus, remember, follow instructions, organize thoughts, and respond to what’s in front of you.
It’s the signal—how clean or scrambled it is, how fast or slow it moves, whether it gets through at all.Cognition includes:
- Attention and focus
- Memory
- Processing speed
- Language comprehension
- Problem-solving
- Executive function (planning, organizing, initiating tasks)Intelligence is what you know.
It’s your insight, your brilliance, your creativity.
It’s the ability to connect dots, learn from experience, and understand the world in ways others can’t always name.Intelligence includes:
- Reasoning ability
- Understanding concepts
- Learning from experience
- Applying knowledge to new situations
- Creativity, insight, and adaptabilityWhen you’ve had a brain injury, like I have, your intelligence doesn’t disappear.
But your access to it might.You might know exactly what needs to be done—but the thought slips.
You might understand something deeply—but struggle to explain it out loud.
You might be trying to focus—but your brain won’t cooperate.
And it’s maddening—because you know you’re still in there.My hard drive is intact.
But sometimes the wires are frayed.
The screen is cracked.
The signal is static-y.And even though others can’t always see it, it’s real.
It’s work. It’s exhausting.
And it’s not about being less smart.
It’s about surviving with a system that’s glitching in ways most people can’t understand—and, to be honest, don’t even know that system is there.That’s the cruelest part. Not just that people don’t understand—
but that they don’t even know there’s something to understand.You look “fine,” so they assume you are fine.
Sometimes I get, “I forget my keys all the time—we’re just getting older.”
That comparison erases everything I’m going through.
I tried explaining. But if doesn't resonate, it can’t land.
My energy is precious—and these days, it’s limited.
And, people who don't get that are unsafe for me.They don’t see the mental fatigue after ten minutes of focus.
Or the blank stare when the words won’t line up.
Or the panic when you forget something important—again.
Or the fear when you're driving on a street you've driven since you were a teenager, and you don't know where you're going or recognize where you are.
Or how exhausting it is to pass for “okay.”
They don’t know you’re battling a fog that has no shape and no schedule.It’s not just invisible. It’s incomprehensible to most people.But I know it exists.And that truth? That’s the ground I stand on.

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What I'm Building in Belize

What I’m Building Over the past six years, I’ve invested more than $100,000 of my own resources into this project—so giving up is not an option. And those funds weren’t just for the land, but for its spirit and structure. That includes:• 🌱 Sustainability and regenerative design training
• 🛖 Earthen building and vernacular architecture studies
• 🌍 Climate change leadership certifications
• 🌿 Permaculture design and ecological farming practices
• 🎋 Bamboo cultivation and agroforestry
• 🥬 Small-scale farming and food sovereignty
• 🧠 Collective trauma healing courses
• 🤎 Community care frameworks
• 🌺 Ancestral herbal healing and ethnobotanical research
• ✈️ Travel and accommodations for immersive learning
• 🤝🏾 Relationship-building with key organizations, both globally and in Belize.During most of my visits to Belize, I stay at the Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society—a field station and conservation research center focused on protecting biodiversity. I learned a lot there that directly informs Thrive’s design and direction.This has never been a casual dream. It’s been a full-bodied, whole-hearted commitment. My financial, emotional, and spiritual roots are already there.Thrive International was never just a vision I was dreaming about. It’s always been a project in motion—even if, at times, the motion was invisible, even to me. But now, it’s not just a vision. It’s a lifeline. And it’s the only one I have.There’s already a foundation: 21 acres of rainforest. A ready site. A calling.There’s already community: partners ready to build, learn, and heal.What I need now—is to be there. Not someday. Now.
To live in alignment with the future I’ve been holding space for.
Not just for others. For myself.Thrive is not just a project.
It’s a sanctuary.
A place where healing is collective.
Where care is mutual.
Where it’s safe to be human again.If this story resonates—if you believe in spaces where trauma is met with purpose—please donate $1–$5 and share the GoFundMe.Every dollar. Every share. Every act of belief proves that this vision matters—and helps bring Thrive to life.THRIVE INTERNATIONAL

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Culturally and Gender Competent Mental Health Resources

If you’re in crisis, call or text 988.
There’s someone on the line who will stay with you.
No judgment. Just help.
988 Lifeline is a suicide and crisis hotline. You can also go online at 988lifeline.org.But after the crisis, where do you go?Because not everyone can heal in a room where they have to explain who they are first.
Where their name is mispronounced.
Where their story doesn’t fit the forms.This page is for us.
For people who need therapists who understand our culture, our gender, our lives.Start here. Find what feels like care.

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Displacement Resources

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order called “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program,” and it paused the U.S. refugee resettlement program. This page is for people who are interested in the various organizations that focus on resettlement, asylum, and human rights for displaced people. Some of the organizations below are US-based and their sites have helpful information. Others are international organizations with offices in other countries.International Office of Mobility
IOM is part of the United Nations System and stands as the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. The organization collaborates with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners to improve the resilience of people on the move, particularly those in situations of vulnerability.
The IOM Constitution recognizes the link between migration and economic, social and cultural development, as well as to the right of freedom of movement.
IOM’s work is focused on the following three objectives:
• Saving lives and protecting people on the move
• Driving solutions to displacement
• Facilitating pathways for regular migrationRefugees International
Refugees International was started in 1979 as a citizens’ movement to defend the rights of people fleeing Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Since then, they have expanded to become a globally focused organization, advocating wherever rights and refuge are at risk.
Refugees International advocates for lifesaving assistance, human rights, and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises.
To ensure the independence and credibility of our work, Refugees International does not accept government or UN funding. Our critical role helps us advance accountability and allows us to speak freely when others sometimes cannot.International Rescue Committee
In 1933, Albert Einstein and a small group of humanitarians formed what would become the International Rescue Committee. Today, we deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the unique needs of women and girls. Our work spans more than 40 crisis-affected countries, and we provide resettlement, asylum, and integration services in communities across the United States and Europe.International Refugee Assistance Project
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) integrates legal aid, strategic litigation, policy advocacy, media advocacy, and legal information to uphold and advance the rights of people seeking safety around the world. Headquartered in NY but offices Europe, China, Japan, the Middle and Austrailia.US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), established in 1911, is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit international organization dedicated to addressing the needs and rights of refugees and immigrants. Has offices in El Salvador, Kenya, Honduras and Mexico.Immigrant Legal Resource Center
The mission of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is to work with and educate immigrants, community organizations, and the legal sector to continue to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people.UN Refugee Agency
UNHCR leads international action to protect people forced to flee conflict and persecution and those denied a nationality.US Office of Refugee and Resettlement
Good luck.

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