Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) affects millions worldwide — yet most people don’t recognize the warning signs until it’s too late. In this powerful episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland welcomes Emmy Award-winning journalist and Global PAD Association co-founder Kym McNicholas to explain what PAD is, how it causes poor circulation, and why early detection is critical in preventing amputation.
Kym shares her inspiring journey from covering a medical story to becoming one of the leading advocates for PAD awareness and patient empowerment. She sheds light on how education, proper diagnosis, and access to the right care can literally save limbs — and lives.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ The symptoms and stages of PAD — and why it often goes undiagnosed
✅ How 85% of diabetes-related amputations could be avoided with proper vascular testing
✅ Why getting a second opinion before surgery can make all the difference
✅ How the Global PAD Association (PADHelp.org) supports patients through education, walking programs, and the PAD Hotline (1-833-PAD-LEGS)
✅ Real patient success stories showing how minimally invasive treatments can prevent amputation
If you or someone you love is living with diabetes, circulation issues, or unexplained leg pain, this episode is a must-watch. Awareness is the first step to prevention — and every step counts.
📞 PAD Hotline: 1-833-PAD-LEGS
🌐 Learn more: https://padhelp.org
🎙️ Podcast Website: https://werenotstumped.com
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What does it take to turn a life challenge into a lifelong passion for sports and coaching? On this episode of We're Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland talks with Marc Burkom, a double below-knee amputee born with fibular hemimelia who has built a life around athletics, coaching, and helping others reach their potential. Marc shares how his parents made the difficult decision to amputate his feet when he was just two months old — a choice that allowed him to grow up active in sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball. Today, Marc works in coaching education and advocates for expanding opportunities for adaptive and amputee athletes. In this conversation, Marc and Mike discuss growing up with prosthetics, the role sports played in building confidence, coaching amputee soccer, adaptive sports like amputee basketball, and how prosthetic technology has evolved over the years.
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.
