This is the introduction to the “We’re not Stumped” amputee podcast. In this episode, I talk about the vision of the podcast and share a bit about my life story as a congenital amputee. But most important, I share my contact information and ask others in the amputee community – be it a person with limb loss, a family member or a person in the support community to reach out to share their story. My email address is mike@mikebolland.com.

In the first episode of the We’re Not Stumped podcast, I’m very honored to have Nicole Kelly as a guest. Like me, Nicole is an congenital amputee of an upper extremity. Nicole was Miss Iowa 2013 and competed in the Miss America Contest in 2014 and she talks about that experience in this podcast. Nicole was also featured on the The Today Show as well as countless other shows and platforms. She has a masters degree in broadcast journalism from Northwestern University and and has proudly spoken at hundreds of K-12 schools and given educational lectures at universities across the country. Nicole has spoken at corporations including Google, Microsoft, Allstate, and Riot Games. She now works for Coapt, the maker of Complete Control advanced pattern recognition myoelectric control technology for upper limb prosthetics. In this video she will demonstrate her incredible prosthetic made possible by the great team at Coapt.

In this episode of the we’re not stumped podcast, I’m extremely happy to have Jeff Soelberg as my guest. I first saw Jeff at the Amputee Coalition annual event in Desert Springs where he conducted a session that was titled “Bringing Awareness of the Struggles for Finger Amputees”. One of the things I learned during his session was that most insurance companies consider fingers cosmetic items that don’t need prosthetics. As I later got to know Jeff a bit more, it came as no surprise that he was putting on a session at the conference because giving back is something he has now done for many years. Listen as I talk to Jeff about his story, his giving back and what’s next with his foundation.

More about Jeff: https://www.jeffgivingahand.org

More about Mike: https://mikebolland.com

More about Mike’s foundation: https://joeandmariehelpinghands.org

Sepsis survivor Christine Caron is as energetic and passionate as she is knowledgeable. Nine years ago, Christine lost both her lower legs and her lower left arm and hand to sepsis. In this episode, Christine explains how a very minor cut on her hand lead to her life-changing experience. She imparts her knowledge from both her experience and her research on sepsis and talks about the warning signs and how early detection can save lives.

Christine leads two support groups for people suffering from post-sepsis syndrome and another for those struggling to deal with their amputations. She discusses the inspiration for starting these groups: Going from having the support needed while in rehab, to having little to no support as a survivor.

Useful links
Canadian Sepsis Foundation: https://canadiansepsisfoundation.ca
Sepsis Awareness: https://www.sepsisawareness.ca
Sepsis Canada: https://www.sepsiscanada.ca
Global Sepsis Alliance: https://www.global-sepsis-alliance.org
Sepsis Alliance: https://www.sepsis.org

#amputee #amputeestrong #staypositive

For the first We’re Not Stumped podcast recorded in person, I had the pleasure of talking with amputees Dan Moses and Jennifer (JJ ) Johnson. It was an unexpected but very welcome surprise to include JJ, as I was originally scheduled to only meet with Dan. But I couldn’t pass up the chance to talk with his “partner in crime” JJ, and she was gracious enough to accept my invitation to be on the podcast with literally only minutes notice. (This explains why I fumble a bit with her name at the beginning).

Dan is a below knee amputee and JJ is an above knee. They both share their stories in this episode. I met Dan at an amputee support group called ‘Lively Limbs’. He stood out to me immediately with his knowledge and his passion to pass his experience on to others. JJ is much the same – and the rapport they have with each other is entertaining. But aside from the fun they have, they both share very important information that can help others who may be in the beginning stages of their own journeys.

#amputee #amputeestrong #amputeelife

Resources Discussed:
CAF (Challenged Athletes Foundation): https://www.challengedathletes.org/
Hanger Clinic: https://hangerclinic.com/
Amplitude Magazine: https://livingwithamplitude.com/
Article on Jennifer: https://livingwithamplitude.com/scuba-diving-for-amputees-heals-deep-wounds/
Dive Guardians: https://www.diveguardians.org/
K2 Adventure Foundation: https://k2adventures.org/
Mother’s Grace: https://mothers-grace.org/
AZJenBunnyXOXO TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@azjennbunnyxoxo

Gary lost the lower part of his left leg in 2018. Since that time, Gary has become a motivational speaker, author, American Ninja Warrior, entrepreneur, and a member of multiple USA Para teams. Even with all of that, he also did what many thought was impossible and went back to work as a firefighter.

His message of ‘Adapt and Overcome’ has become more than a mantra – it’s his inspiring message that has helped others. The children’s books he has written share a message of hope and acceptance, all with a message for young and old alike.

Gary continues to travel the country and share his message. We were very honored to have Gary on our podcast to discuss the many ways he contributes to the amputee community.

More on Gary:
Gary’s Website: https://garyweiland.com
Gary on America Ninja Warrior: https://youtu.be/RZBY14gwi5Y
Adapt & Overcome Apparel: https://gary-weiland.myshopify.com
Fischer’s Accident (All Books in Series): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SBQZZQT?binding=paperback&qid=1651592102

#amputee #amputeestrong #amputeelife #positivethinking #noexcuses

Angie Coe has always been active. She rides horses. She loves to go shooting. She loves all outdoor activities. All of that could have changed just a short time ago for Angie. But with an attitude that her mom describes as “it is what it is”, and with gritty determination, she has come back from a devastating hand injury to do all of those activities and even more.

A short time after her injury, Angie started searching the internet in an effort to learn more about the journey she was about to undertake. However, she found little information on the patient side, and that’s when she decided her journey would be an “open book” for others to learn from. You can keep up with her story on her Instagram account called “Bionic_Angie” and read more about her as an ambassador for Point Designs on their website (links below).

Angie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bionic_angie/
Point Designs: https://www.pointdesignsllc.com
Point Designs Ambassadors: https://www.pointdesignsllc.com/ambassadors

#amputee #amputeestrong #amputeelife #noexcuses #staypositive #positivethinking

In the first episode of season two of the We’re not Stumped podcast, I welcome television producer Rachel Grow. Rachel was born in Wiesbaden, Germany with a congenital condition called symbrachydactyly. Symbrachydactyly is a rare congenital hand condition in which a child is born with abnormally short fingers that may be webbed, misshaped or missing. It is often confused with other hand conditions but differs in that the underlying structure of the hand is affected — not just the fingers. The hand may not function well, and the bones, muscles, ligaments, and nerves of the hand are also often affected. Even with her start in life, Rachel has continued to move forward with nothing but a positive attitude. She has worked in Hollywood both in front of and behind the camera, most notably as a producer on such shows as America’s Got Talent, American Idol and Shipping Wars. In this episode Rachel talks about her prosthetic designed by Arm Dynamics and created by Point Design, a great story on how she learned to tie her shoes…and much more!

To learn even more about Rachel, you can follow her on social:
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@BionicRachel 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bionic_rachel/ 
Her appearance on The Tex Factor: https://youtu.be/S2IBDkjZdJA?t=640

Prosthetic Links:
Arm Dynamics: https://www.armdynamics.com/
Point Design: https://www.pointdesignsllc.com/

#amputee #amputeelife #amputeestrong

Dr. Kimberly Emanuel was living her best life until a catastrophic event entered her life. In January of 2021, an infection caused her to go into severe sepsis shock. Her chances of living were less than 40%. To save her life, she was given Vasopressors designed to pull blood from all of her extremities to her heart. As a result, her limbs developed gangrene. The only medical solution was to remove all affected areas, which in her case was both legs and both arms. Dr. Kimberly became a quad amputee at the age of 50.

But as she states: “Fortunately, I am much more than my illness and disability. I have two grown adult daughters and a growing collection of grandsons. My husband and I have been married for 28 years and we enjoy camping and fishing. As a recently retired educator, my advocacy and Sepsis Awareness platforms have enhanced my public speaking and writing skills. I am interested in modeling adaptive fashions and serving as a motivational speaker to various audiences. My presence is a blessing and I hope to inspire just one person to keep on going!”

Currently Dr. Kimberly is raising funds to acquire a service dog. Any help is appreciated. Donations can be made here: https://givebutter.com/kimberlyscanine

Platforms discussed in this episode:
Dr. Kimberly Emanuel Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/kimberly_thequadexperience/
Dr. Kimberly Emanuel Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kimberly.emanuel.14
Dr. Kimberly Emanuel Website – https://thequadexperience.com/
Shamrock Prosthetics – http://www.shamrockprosthetics.com/

#amputee #amputeestrong #staypositive #amputeelife