Limbloss Connection: The Next Step

Episode 22: A Fighter’s Journey – Sarah Wall’s Story

Welcome to The Next Step, the podcast where we share powerful stories of resilience, recovery, and the real lives behind limb loss and limb difference. I’m Kevin Gray, and with me today is Yazmin—we’ll be your hosts.
Each episode, we meet remarkable individuals who’ve faced the unimaginable and found the courage to keep moving forward. Today’s guest is someone whose journey is as harrowing as it is inspiring.
In November 2019, Sarah Wall’s life was turned upside down. What began as an ordinary day quickly spiraled into a medical crisis. Diagnosed with DIC—a rare and life-threatening condition that attacks the body from within—Sarah spent weeks in the ICU, endured multiple surgeries, and ultimately lost parts of her fingers and suffered severe damage to her feet.
But through it all, Sarah has shown extraordinary strength. She has refused to let her circumstances define her, choosing instead to fight for recovery and embrace life with determination and hope.

Episode 21: Resilience, Humor, and Advocacy with Rex & Richard

In this episode of Limbloss Connection: The Next Step, host Kevin Gray speaks with Rex Ellebracht and Richard about their powerful and very different journeys through limb loss. Rex shares how he adapted quickly after his surgery, returning to work and leaning on humor as a way to cope with both the physical and emotional challenges of recovery. Richard reflects on his experience with diabetes-related complications, multiple amputations, and how setbacks in rehabilitation led him to become a certified peer visitor and advocate for others. Together, Rex and Richard highlight resilience, adaptability, and the strength found in community. Their stories show that while amputation changes life in profound ways, it can also open doors to new purpose, perspective, and connection.

Episode 20: Finding Strength Through Setbacks: Johnathan’s Journey

In this episode, we sit down with Johnathan to hear his inspiring story of resilience after limb loss. He opens up about the challenges he faced, the turning points in his recovery, and the ways he continues to adapt and thrive. From navigating the physical hurdles to rebuilding confidence and purpose, Johnathan’s journey is a powerful reminder that perseverance and support can transform even the toughest setbacks into new beginnings.

Episode 19: Rebuilding Strength: Inside the Work of a Physiotherapist Assistant (PTA)

In this episode of Limbloss Connection: The Next Step, host Kevin Gray sits down with John Cooper, a Physiotherapist Assistant (PTA) from Columbus, Georgia, who specializes in lower extremity recovery and amputee rehabilitation. John shares his passion for helping patients regain strength, mobility, and confidence, and explains the critical role collaboration plays between physiotherapists and prosthetists. From home exercise programs to emotional support, John offers valuable insights for both patients and professionals on the journey to recovery after limb loss.

Episode 18: Nancy Simpson - What is it like to be a Caregiver for an Amputee?

Nancy Simpson is a Caregiver to her husband Rob Simpson. We will hear what it is like to be a Caregiver for an Amputee.

Episode 17: Letting Go to Move Forward: David Hershberger’s Long Road to Amputation

In this episode, host Kevin Gray welcomes David Hersh, whose story of resilience, recovery, and reinvention spans over two decades. What began as a seemingly minor accident in his driveway in 1998 led to years of chronic pain, surgeries, and ultimately, the difficult decision to amputate his leg. David’s journey is one of perseverance through physical and emotional challenges, including struggles with addiction and the strength it took to rebuild his life.
Now 67 and retired in Arizona, David shares the wisdom he’s gained through experience — from navigating rehab and phantom pain, to embracing peer support and helping others as a support group leader. His perspective is raw, honest, and deeply moving, offering hard-earned insight into what it means to live a full life after limb loss.
Tune in to hear how one man’s decision to move forward became the foundation for a life of purpose, service, and healing.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Episode 16: You Can Have a Wonderful Life: Laura’s Journey Through Loss, Healing, and Purpose

In this episode, host Kevin Gray sits down with Laura Nugent-Carter, a resilient and inspiring woman whose life was forever changed by a traumatic motorcycle accident. Laura shares her deeply personal journey — from surviving a near-death experience and enduring over a decade of limb salvage surgeries, to ultimately choosing elective amputation. Now a bilateral amputee and osseointegration recipient, Laura speaks candidly about the physical and emotional complexities of her recovery.
But her story doesn't stop at survival. As an ordained interspiritual minister, licensed clinical social worker, and founder of a spiritual counseling practice, Laura has transformed her pain into purpose. She’s a 20-year sober peer mentor and a passionate advocate for integrating emotional healing into physical rehabilitation. Together, she and Kevin explore the intersection of trauma, spirituality, and resilience — and how, as Laura powerfully states, “you can have a wonderful life regardless of your circumstances — if you’re willing to do the inner work.”
Tune in for a conversation that is as honest as it is uplifting.

Episode 15: Still Me: Kris ’s Journey Through Cancer, Sepsis, and Amputation

In this episode, Kevin Gray sits down with Kris Kristensen, a cancer survivor, sepsis warrior, and above-knee amputee who embodies what it means to adapt and persevere. After years of misdiagnosed back pain, Kris was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, leading to a radical hemipelvectomy that removed his left leg, hip, and part of his pelvis. While recovering, he developed life-threatening sepsis and lost his large intestine, now living with an ileostomy. Despite it all, Kris has reclaimed his life — returning to golf, skiing, and even rock climbing — while working as a pharmaceutical training consultant and writing under the powerful mantra, "I’m Still Me." Through faith, family, and a fierce commitment to mental health advocacy, Kris shares a raw and inspiring story of survival, identity, and the power of community.

Episode 14: Carolyn Buffington’s Journey with Bone Cancer and a Mega Prosthesis

In this episode of The Next Step, host Kevin Gray sits down with Carolyn Buffington, an avid runner and hiker whose life took a sudden turn after a rare bone cancer diagnosis. Though she’s not an amputee, Carolyn underwent a life-changing surgery that resulted in the implantation of a “mega prosthesis”—a complex medical device used to replace a joint and large segment of bone following tumor resection.
Carolyn opens up about her transition from high activity to limited mobility, the emotional toll of losing her former identity, and how she’s found new purpose through connection with others facing similar challenges. From dealing with pain and setbacks to celebrating small victories, Carolyn’s story is one of adaptation, courage, and compassion.
Whether you’re living with limb loss, chronic illness, or any life-altering condition, Carolyn’s journey offers powerful insight into what it means to turn hardship into strength—and why support and community make all the difference.

Episode 13: No Hands, No Limits – Debbie Dwyer’s Journey After Quadruple Amputation

In this episode of The Next Step, host Kevin Gray speaks with Debbie Dwyer, a former school secretary whose life changed overnight after what seemed like a routine case of kidney stones. Debbie was septic and spent a month in a coma—only to wake up and discover she had lost both legs below the knee and parts of both arms due to sepsis-related complications.
Despite losing all four limbs, Debbie’s spirit remains unshaken. She shares how she quickly accepted the loss of her legs but struggled deeply with the loss of her hands—arguably her biggest hurdle. Yet today, she lives independently, types on a computer, walks with a walker, and speaks candidly about mental health, adaptation, and rejecting the label of “inspirational porn.”
This is not just a story of survival—it’s one of agency, acceptance, and redefining what it means to live fully. Tune in as Debbie opens up about sepsis awareness, emotional recovery, and why, even without hands, she never lets go of hope.