“You’re lucky—you were born that way.”
“At least you lost your limb when you were young.”
Within the limb loss community, these statements can overlook a significant part of someone’s life. Adapting physically is only one part of living with a limb difference or limb loss – and this applies to people of all ages. The emotional and social challenges deserve equal consideration.
In this solo episode of We’re Not Stumped, I share my perspective as someone born without a right hand and challenge the assumption that people born with limb differences—or who experienced amputation as children—automatically have it easier. and I share a recent experience that shapes this conversation.
Through my podcast and community work, I’ve met people whose experiences include bullying, barriers to employment, difficulties forming relationships, and years of depression. While those experiences don’t all describe my own journey, they deserve to be heard and acknowledged.
Acquiring a disability later in life brings its own challenges, including grieving what someone has lost. Recognizing those challenges doesn’t require us to minimize someone else’s.
Each journey carries challenges that may not be visible from the outside. We build a stronger community when we listen to those experiences without deciding who has it easier.
Before we tell someone they’re lucky, let’s ask what their experience has actually been.
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Today, I’m honored to sit down once again with Brooke Brown — an “ink weaver of life, faith, and fiction,” an honors graduate of ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Ms. Wheelchair Arizona 2022, and founder of Brooke’s Butterfly Touch, a ministry that helps individuals discover the power and purpose of their own stories. Brooke is also the author of Rolling in Grace: Volume 1 — A Foundation of Faith and Imagination, now available in audio format. Having read it myself, I can promise you: it’s full of relatable, uplifting, and beautifully practical stories. Living with cerebral palsy and using an augmentative communication app, Brooke demonstrates that every voice — every single one — can inspire hope, healing, and opportunity. This is her second appearance on the show, so after watching, don’t forget to visit WereNotStumped.com to catch her first episode.
In this inspiring episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland sits down with Caitlin Conner, founder of Be More Adaptive, to explore how she’s building a global hub for disability resources designed to empower people with disabilities to live fulfilling, confident, and sustainable lives. Caitlin shares her powerful journey — from surviving a life-changing motorcycle accident while pregnant to becoming a Paralympic-level athlete, model, and outspoken disability advocate. She talks candidly about adapting to life as an amputee, the importance of self-advocacy, and how adaptive sports helped her rebuild her identity, purpose, and strength.
When Drew Ann Long, a stay-at-home mom from Birmingham, Alabama, discovered there were no shopping carts designed for her daughter Caroline — who has Rett syndrome and cannot walk or talk — she decided to create one herself. In this inspiring episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland sits down with Drew Ann to discuss her journey from frustrated mom to inventor of Caroline’s Cart, an adaptive shopping cart now featured in over 15,000 stores across eight countries, including Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Lowe’s. Drew Ann opens up about overcoming rejection, financial struggles, and even a hacked social media page — all while pursuing her mission to bring dignity and inclusion to families with disabilities.
