We're Not Stumped | Survival Stories, Disability Stories & Recovery Journeys Podcast

How do you move forward when vision loss changes your career, independence, and plans for the future?

In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland speaks with Jennifer Frederick about living with permanent vision loss and learning to advocate for herself along the way.

Jennifer explains how changes in her vision eventually forced her to leave a career in crisis management. She also discusses the challenges she now faces while looking for work, including interview practices that have left her questioning whether she is being treated fairly as a person with a disability.

The conversation explores Jenn’s decision not to undergo surgery for her detached retinas, the importance of seeking medical attention when your vision changes, and the need to take ownership of your healthcare. Jenn also shares how she connects others with vision-loss resources, why peer support matters, and her interest in possibly starting a podcast of her own.

Most importantly, Jennifer offers an honest perspective on pride, independence, and recognizing when it is time to ask for help.

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Mike Bolland and Kim Ousley reflect on their experiences at EmpowerFest, an event that brings together people with limb loss and limb difference for adaptive activities, education, encouragement, and community.

Kim shares her experiences trying yoga and diamond painting, while Mike discusses the confidence participants gain from attempting activities in a supportive environment. They also explore the importance of connecting with peers who understand the realities—and humor—of living with limb loss.

The conversation also covers the need for more activities designed for people with upper-limb loss and limb difference, the role prosthetists play during adaptive events, and how breakout sessions can help newer amputees open up and connect with others.

Mike and Kim also discuss creative tools developed by amputees, including Mike’s homemade PVC dumbbell holder, and ideas for highlighting people who create their own adaptive solutions for exercise, hobbies, and everyday life.

This episode of We’re Not Stumped celebrates the courage to try something new, learn from others, and become more involved in the limb-loss community.

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What happens when we stop deciding what someone is capable of—and give them the opportunity to lead?

In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland welcomes Nathan Kennedy of Upstream Fitness, Chris Kocurek, and Chris’s son, Cameron 'Coach Cam' Kocurek.

Cameron, who has Down syndrome, began gymnastics as a child and later competed in Special Olympics and unified gymnastics. Today, he is using the confidence, communication skills, and discipline he developed as an athlete to help coach others at Upstream Fitness.

Nathan explains how Upstream Fitness uses movement, games, coaching cards, and step-by-step instruction to make exercise more accessible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Chris shares Cameron’s journey from athlete to assistant PE coach—and his continued progress toward meaningful employment and greater independence.

In this conversation:

• Cameron’s growth through gymnastics and adaptive sports
• How Coach Cam connects with and leads fitness participants
• Nathan’s journey from boxing and powerlifting to inclusive coaching
• Making fitness accessible for people with autism and Down syndrome
• Creating meaningful employment opportunities for adults with disabilities
• Building confidence, strength, independence, and belonging
• Upstream Fitness’s plans for coaching certifications and expansion

This episode is a powerful reminder of what can happen when people with disabilities are given genuine opportunities to contribute, lead, and succeed.

Learn more about Upstream Fitness:
https://upstream-fitness.com/

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After losing control on an icy road in Calgary, Reid Robinson crashed into a tree and suffered devastating injuries to his lower leg. What followed were two and a half years of recovery, 13 surgeries, broken surgical hardware, bone infections, and a difficult decision between amputation and trying once more to save his leg.

While recovering, Reid realized that none of the available mobility devices gave him the freedom he needed. So, despite having no welding experience, he taught himself by watching online videos and built his first leg brace from aluminum, crutches, and an IKEA cutting board.

That garage-built prototype eventually became the X-Leg, a hands-free knee crutch designed to help people with lower-leg injuries stay active and independent during recovery.

Reid joins Mike Bolland to talk about surviving the accident, undergoing a 16-hour surgery, overcoming opioid addiction, returning to running, and turning a deeply personal challenge into a medical device now being studied in the United States, Canada, and Chile.

Learn more about the X-Leg at https://www.xleg.ca

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Angie Sandow was born with one hand and Poland syndrome—but that hasn't stopped her from riding motorcycles, playing guitar, performing onstage, and finding plenty of reasons to laugh along the way.

In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland reconnects with Angie for a candid and often funny conversation about growing up with a limb difference, dealing with bullying and unwanted attention, and learning to turn difficult experiences into something positive.

Angie shares how music became an important part of her life, including performing with bands and using a custom prosthetic guitar holder. She also talks about becoming a one-handed motorcycle rider and the modifications that allow her to ride, including moving the throttle to the left side.

Mike and Angie also discuss breast cancer, speaking and advocacy, aging with a disability, handling unsolicited help, the importance of supportive communities, and the unique experiences of people born with limb differences compared with those who experience limb loss later in life.

And, of course, there's plenty of conversation about humor, hockey, the Buffalo Bills, and refusing to let other people's expectations determine what's possible.

It’s an entertaining and thoughtful conversation between two people born with one hand who have spent their lives finding their own ways to do things.

🎙️ We’re Not Stumped shares real stories of limb loss, limb difference, disability, recovery, resilience, and the people who prove that life doesn't end when circumstances change.

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Vincent Van de Broeck was given just a 10% chance of survival after a devastating e-scooter accident left him with a severe traumatic brain injury. After spending three weeks in a coma, surviving was only the beginning.

In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland talks with Vincent about his extraordinary recovery—relearning how to walk, talk, eat, and handle everyday tasks most of us take for granted.

Vincent shares what it was really like to gradually wake from a coma, the difficult prognosis his family faced, and the extensive damage to his skull that eventually required a custom 3D-printed implant.

He also discusses the people who refused to give up on him, particularly his wife and family, who lived through weeks of uncertainty while Vincent was unconscious.

Through his recovery, Vincent came to see resilience not simply as something you're born with, but as something you can develop and strengthen. That experience also helped shape the ideas behind his book, Everything Feels Impossible Until It’s Done  (https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Feels-Impossible-Until-Done/dp/1911774360) .

In this episode:

• Surviving a severe traumatic brain injury
• Being given a 10% chance of survival
• What waking from a three-week coma was really like
• Relearning how to walk, talk, eat, and live independently
• Reconstructing his skull with a 3D-printed implant
• The impact on Vincent’s wife and family
• Why hope mattered when the prognosis was bleak
• Developing resilience through adversity
• The role of mindset and consistent action
• The story behind Everything Feels Impossible Until It’s Done

Vincent’s story is a powerful reminder that something feeling impossible doesn’t mean it will stay that way.

Subscribe to We’re Not Stumped for conversations about disability, resilience, recovery, self-advocacy, and people facing extraordinary challenges.

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Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

What happens when the limb loss community, prosthetics professionals, nonprofits, and supporters come together for a weekend built around giving back?

In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland talks with Rob Pittman of Hanger, Chairman of the Hanger Foundation’s Night to Inspire, about the upcoming 2026 Night to Inspire in Nashville, Tennessee.

Now in its third year, Night to Inspire is expanding into a full weekend experience designed to raise funds, build awareness, and support organizations helping people with limb loss, limb difference, and mobility challenges.

Rob shares what attendees can expect, including a Friday evening kickoff at Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel, bourbon experiences, a golf outing, and a Saturday night dinner, reception, and concert at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Mike and Rob also discuss:

• How Night to Inspire got started
• The mission of the Hanger Foundation
• Organizations supported through the foundation, including Camp No Limits
• Rob’s lifelong career in orthotics and prosthetics
• The evolution of prosthetic technology
• Why peer support can be so important after limb loss
• Helping new amputees understand what is possible
• Raising awareness and financial support for the limb loss community
• How people can support Night to Inspire even if they can’t attend in person

Rob also reflects on growing up in the orthotics and prosthetics profession and why, after decades in the field, helping people regain mobility and quality of life continues to drive his work.

Night to Inspire 2026 takes place September 19, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Listen to this episode of We’re Not Stumped to learn more about Night to Inspire, the Hanger Foundation, and the people working to make a difference throughout the limb loss and limb difference community.

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Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

When should a limb be saved—and when might amputation provide a better quality of life?

On this episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland talks with podiatric surgeon Dr. Danny Ghannoum about limb salvage, diabetic foot complications, Charcot neuroarthropathy, bone infections, and the difficult decisions that can lead to lower-limb amputation.

Dr. Ghannoum explains how diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, poor circulation, foot ulcers, and osteomyelitis can put a limb at risk. He also shares complex patient cases that illustrate an important point: saving a limb isn't always the same as achieving the best outcome for the patient.

The conversation explores advances in limb salvage and reconstructive surgery, including bone fusion techniques, while emphasizing the importance of considering each patient's lifestyle, goals, and quality of life when making treatment decisions.

Mike and Dr. Ghannoum also discuss patient advocacy and second opinions, with Dr. Ghannoum encouraging patients to take an active role as the “quarterback” of their healthcare team.

Topics include:

• Limb salvage vs. amputation
• Diabetes and amputation risk
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Charcot foot / Charcot neuroarthropathy
• Diabetic foot ulcers and infections
• Osteomyelitis
• Below-the-knee amputation
• Limb reconstruction and fusion
• Patient advocacy and second opinions
• Quality of life when making treatment decisions

We’re Not Stumped shares conversations about limb loss, limb difference, prosthetics, adaptive living, advocacy, and the people working to improve outcomes for the limb loss community.

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Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

What are you actually allowed to ask someone with a service dog? Do service dogs need paperwork? And what happens when businesses get the rules wrong?

In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland talks with upper-limb amputee Stevia Walker about service animals, disability, prosthetics, self-advocacy, and life after limb loss.

Stevia shares an encounter at a hotel where employees demanded documentation for her service dog and incorrectly assumed the dog was an emotional support animal. She discusses what people and businesses should understand about service animals and why these interactions matter.

Stevia also shares the remarkable journey that brought her into the limb loss community. After developing severe Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) following a 2021 car accident and subsequent surgeries, she ultimately chose to have her hand amputated in December 2023.

She talks about fighting to be heard by doctors, adapting after amputation, trying different prosthetic technologies, and participating in a clinical trial at UT Southwestern. Stevia also explains why there is no single prosthetic solution that works for every amputee—and how learning to advocate for herself has shaped her journey.

Organizations discussed:
Hands of Gratitude
Dallas Amputee Network

🎙️ We’re Not Stumped shares conversations about limb loss, limb difference, disability, advocacy, adaptive living, and the people who refuse to let circumstances define what’s possible.

Subscribe to We’re Not Stumped for more conversations from the limb loss and disability communities.

Send Mike a Message!

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Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

What does it take to overcome a challenge you've faced since birth?

In this episode of We're Not Stumped, Mike Bolland welcomes Nathan Winston, who was born with Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD), a rare limb difference that led to the amputation of his left leg at the age of four.

Nathan shares his incredible journey from adapting to life with a prosthetic to excelling in football, basketball, and baseball. His determination eventually carried him to the Little League World Series and into the ranks of professional baseball.

Along the way, Nathan reflects on the challenges he faced, the resilience he developed, and the mindset that helped him keep moving forward—even when the path wasn't easy.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

•  Growing up with PFFD and limb loss 
•  Competing in multiple sports with a prosthetic 
•  Overcoming obstacles on and off the field 
•  The lessons that shaped his "Next Level Mindset" 
•  Why confidence is built by doing uncomfortable things 
•  His mission to inspire others through his story 

Nathan's journey is a powerful reminder that our limitations don't define us—our mindset does. Whether you're facing adversity, pursuing a dream, or looking for encouragement to take the next step, this conversation will inspire you to keep going.

Join us for another episode of We're Not Stumped, where resilience, determination, and the human spirit take center stage.

Send Mike a Message!

Support the show

Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/