What happens when you begin losing your vision as a child—and refuse to let it define your future?
In this inspiring episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland welcomes Kathy Nimmer, recipient of the prestigious Helen Keller Achievement Award, author, speaker, and retired high school English teacher who spent nearly three decades educating and inspiring students while living with blindness.
Kathy shares her remarkable journey of progressive vision loss caused by a rare retinal degenerative disease, the challenges she faced along the way, and the resilience that helped her build a life filled with purpose, achievement, and impact.
In this episode, Kathy discusses:
- Growing up with gradual vision loss and adapting to change
- Teaching high school English for nearly 30 years as a blind educator
- Overcoming depression, anorexia, and uncertainty about the future
- The role of advocacy, family support, and disability representation
- Pursuing mountain climbing, writing, public speaking, and teaching
- Employment challenges facing people who are blind or visually impaired
- Practical advice for families navigating vision loss and disability
Kathy also shares insights from her latest book, Two Plus Four Equals One, an anthology celebrating the unique bond between people with disabilities and their assistance dogs.
This powerful conversation is a reminder that while circumstances may change, purpose, passion, and perseverance can help us achieve far more than we ever imagined.
Learn more about Kathy at KathyNimmer.com.
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In this powerful episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike sits down with Lindsay Hicks to share her courageous decision to choose amputation at age 22 — and the emotional and physical challenges that followed. Lindsay opens up about navigating identity after limb loss, the support of her parents, and the mindset that helped her move forward. She shares how setting a goal to walk unassisted by Christmas gave her focus during recovery and how resilience continues to shape her life today. The conversation also explores her prosthetic journey, serious medical complications including liver failure and infection, and the determination that helped her regain mobility after two years on crutches.
What if surgery and virtual reality could dramatically reduce phantom limb pain? On this episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland sits down with Dr. Glenn Gaston, orthopedic hand and upper-extremity surgeon, to explore groundbreaking innovations in amputee care — including the Starfish Procedure and a virtual reality treatment for phantom limb pain. Dr. Gaston shares how a life-changing patient experience led him to build a dedicated amputee clinic and push beyond century-old methods of care He also shares his journey into amputee care, the inspiration behind his innovations, and why collaboration between surgeons, prosthetists, therapists, and mental health professionals is shaping the future of limb loss recovery.
Lera Doederlein joins Mike Bolland on We’re Not Stumped to share a powerful story of choosing possibility. Born with AMC (arthrogryposis multiplex congenita), Lera grew up in Phoenix using braces and forearm crutches while navigating school, friendships, and the quiet realization that sports might look different for her. As a teenager, she made the bold decision to pursue double above-knee amputations in order to gain independence and improve long-term mobility—and it transformed her life. Lera walks us through the realities of recovery and physical therapy, learning to use prosthetics, and the moment a clinician pushed her beyond her comfort zone—encouraging her to run just a week after she started walking. She also shares why community matters so much, from Camp No Limits to Hanger events and amputee boot camps that helped her build confidence and momentum.
