What happens when your life changes overnight—and you have to rebuild from the ground up?
In this powerful episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland talks with Melinda Preciado, a former ER professional turned disability advocate, about her life-changing journey after becoming an above-knee amputee in 2021 following a rare and devastating medical complication.
Melinda shares the realities of life after amputation, challenges with prosthetics and accessibility, misconceptions about disability benefits, and why advocacy matters. She also opens up about social support, finding community through Miss Wheelchair, and using her story to inspire others.
An honest conversation about resilience, identity, and discovering strength beyond limits.
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In this deeply moving episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland welcomes Scott Martin, a bilateral hand amputee, soccer coach, and author of the upcoming memoir Play From Your Heart. Scott opens up about the life-altering infection in 1993 that led to the loss of both hands and parts of his feet, and the emotional aftermath that followed. He speaks honestly about denial, detachment, and the five-year struggle with depression that tested his identity, confidence, and purpose.
What happens when lived experience meets entrepreneurship? In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland sits down with Owen Kent, an entrepreneur living with muscular dystrophy who is reshaping the future of assistive technology. After facing limited access to effective rehabilitation tools, Owen co-founded a company to develop a simple, home-based exoskeleton designed to make recovery more accessible. From customer discovery and design thinking to universal design principles, Owen shares how building technology for underserved communities requires more than innovation — it requires empathy.
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.
