Surviving COVID, Losing Her Legs, Finding Purpose | Brianna Heitzman’s Story

What happens when you survive COVID… but wake up to a completely different life?

In this powerful episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland sits down with Brianna Heitzman, a certified employment specialist with Down Syndrome of Louisville, whose life was forever changed after a severe battle with COVID-19.

After being placed on a ventilator and ECMO, Brianna faced an unimaginable outcome—the loss of her legs. But her story doesn’t end there.

This is a conversation about resilience, identity, and rebuilding a life with purpose.

Mike and Brianna dive into:
• Her near-death experience and long road to recovery
• The emotional and physical realities of limb loss
• Learning to adapt and regain independence
• Navigating prosthetics and ongoing challenges
• The ERTL procedure and what it means for recovery
• How her experience shaped her work helping others with employment and benefits
• Her involvement with the Moving Forward Amputee Network

Brianna’s journey is raw, real, and deeply inspiring—a reminder that even after life-changing trauma, there is still a path forward.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe for more powerful stories from the limb loss and disability community.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Watch on YouTube

Listen on Spotify

  • Loz Booth Limb Difference Podcast

July 6th, 2023|

In this inspiring episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland sits down with Loz Booth — a stand-up comedian, actor, content creator, and mother of two based in Sydney, Australia. Known for her bold humor and engaging social [...]

May 17th, 2023|

In 2017 Kayla Inman slid on ice while leaving her workplace, and this event changed the course of her life. That slide caused her to feel constant pain in her foot, a pain that doctors failed to diagnose until [...]

May 7th, 2023|

Felecia Robinson became an above the knee amputee on March 16, 2021 after suffering complications stemming from a blood clot in her right leg. An Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Machine was placed on her left leg March 11th, causing [...]

By |March 31st, 2026|Limb Loss Due To Medical Condition, Lower Limb Amputees|Comments Off on Surviving COVID, Losing Her Legs, Finding Purpose | Brianna Heitzman’s Story

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

Go to Top