Limbloss Connection: The Next Step

Welcome to The Next Step, the podcast where we share powerful stories of resilience, recovery, and the real lives behind limb loss and limb difference. I’m Kevin Gray, and with me today is Yazmin—we’ll be your hosts. Each episode, we meet remarkable individuals who’ve faced the unimaginable and found the courage to keep moving forward. Today’s guest is someone whose journey is as harrowing as it i...

In this episode of Limbloss Connection: The Next Step, host Kevin Gray speaks with Rex Ellebracht and Richard about their powerful and very different journeys through limb loss. Rex shares how he adapted quickly after his surgery, returning to work and leaning on humor as a way to cope with both the physical and emotional challenges of recovery. Richard reflects on his experience with diabetes-rel...

In this episode, we sit down with Johnathan to hear his inspiring story of resilience after limb loss. He opens up about the challenges he faced, the turning points in his recovery, and the ways he continues to adapt and thrive. From navigating the physical hurdles to rebuilding confidence and purpose, Johnathan’s journey is a powerful reminder that perseverance and support can transform even the...

In this episode of Limbloss Connection: The Next Step, host Kevin Gray sits down with John Cooper, a Physiotherapist Assistant (PTA) from Columbus, Georgia, who specializes in lower extremity recovery and amputee rehabilitation. John shares his passion for helping patients regain strength, mobility, and confidence, and explains the critical role collaboration plays between physiotherapists and pro...

Nancy Simpson is a Caregiver to her husband Rob Simpson. We will hear what it is like to be a Caregiver for an Amputee.

In this episode, host Kevin Gray welcomes David Hersh, whose story of resilience, recovery, and reinvention spans over two decades. What began as a seemingly minor accident in his driveway in 1998 led to years of chronic pain, surgeries, and ultimately, the difficult decision to amputate his leg. David’s journey is one of perseverance through physical and emotional challenges, including struggles...

In this episode, host Kevin Gray sits down with Laura Nugent-Carter, a resilient and inspiring woman whose life was forever changed by a traumatic motorcycle accident. Laura shares her deeply personal journey — from surviving a near-death experience and enduring over a decade of limb salvage surgeries, to ultimately choosing elective amputation. Now a bilateral amputee and osseointegration recipie...

In this episode, Kevin Gray sits down with Kris Kristensen, a cancer survivor, sepsis warrior, and above-knee amputee who embodies what it means to adapt and persevere. After years of misdiagnosed back pain, Kris was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, leading to a radical hemipelvectomy that removed his left leg, hip, and part of his pelvis. While recovering, he developed life-threatening sepsis and l...

In this episode of The Next Step, host Kevin Gray sits down with Carolyn Buffington, an avid runner and hiker whose life took a sudden turn after a rare bone cancer diagnosis. Though she’s not an amputee, Carolyn underwent a life-changing surgery that resulted in the implantation of a “mega prosthesis”—a complex medical device used to replace a joint and large segment of bone following tumor resec...

In this episode of The Next Step, host Kevin Gray speaks with Debbie Dwyer, a former school secretary whose life changed overnight after what seemed like a routine case of kidney stones. Debbie was septic and spent a month in a coma—only to wake up and discover she had lost both legs below the knee and parts of both arms due to sepsis-related complications. Despite losing all four limbs, Debbie’s...

In this episode of The Next Step, host Kevin Gray sits down with retired U.S. Navy Captain David Cantrel, a combat veteran whose life took an unexpected turn after a devastating motorcycle accident. Just three years into retirement, David was airlifted to the hospital following a crash that resulted in the amputation of his leg below the knee. What followed was a journey through anger, depression,...

In this episode of The Next Step, we meet Dana, a bilateral below-the-knee amputee from just outside Philadelphia whose life changed drastically due to complications from diabetes and arterial disease. Over the course of two years, Dana underwent two amputations—first in 2015, then again in 2016—and faced a long and painful recovery complicated by hospital errors, staph infections, and a healthcar...

In this episode, we meet Maggie Parker—a lifelong adventurer whose passion for motorcycle travel took her across North America until a devastating accident in 2019 changed everything. After being airlifted to hospital, placed in a coma, and enduring extensive trauma, Maggie ultimately underwent a below-the-knee amputation. But that wasn’t the end of her journey—it was the beginning of a new one. H...

In this episode, we meet Kris Rose, whose journey through pain, perseverance, and profound transformation began at birth. Born with clubfoot and no fully formed heels, Kris endured multiple surgeries throughout childhood, only to face a new challenge in her teens: a diagnosis of juvenile arthritis that affected both her hands and feet. As the years progressed, so did the pain—relentless and life-l...

In this episode, we will hear from Tom Allred, whose life began with severely underdeveloped legs and over a hundred surgeries before, at age 12, he made the bold decision to become an above‑knee amputee—and in doing so unlocked a world of independence and possibility. From roaring down highways on a motorcycle and commanding eighteen‑wheelers behind the wheel to representing his country in sittin...

In this episode, we will hear from Scott Lowell, who dedicated over 25 years to healthcare administration and laboratory science leadership before his world was upended in May 2022 by a collision with a drugged driver while riding his motorcycle. What followed was a 40‑day hospital stay, grueling surgeries, and the difficult decision to undergo an above‑knee amputation. Supported by his wife, two...

In this episode, we will hear from Rob, who faced life‑altering challenges after his amputation. When the tissue around his surgical site refused to heal in rehab and surgeons warned of a possible above‑knee revision, Rob prepared himself mentally, researched full‑leg prosthetic options and costs, and used private pep talks to bolster his resolve. Miraculously, enough healthy tissue remained to sp...

Join us as we dive into the extraordinary journey of Lisa Cumberpatch—a story of resilience, transformation, and the indomitable human spirit. Originally from Jamaica, Lisa set off on a much-anticipated vacation back to her roots, only to have her life take an unexpected and dramatic turn. Amidst the serene backdrop of her homeland, she was suddenly faced with life-threatening blood clots in both...

In this episode, we will hear from Greg Boden who will share his deeply personal journey of resilience and transformation. Greg, a retired Toronto Transit Commission employee, candidly recounts the challenges of living with diabetes and the ensuing medical complications that led to multiple, life-altering amputations. From his first amputation in 2011 to the more recent loss of his right leg in 20...

In this episode, Chaplain Gray shares her extraordinary journey from a seemingly routine stomach-ache to a life-altering medical crisis that resulted in a 97-day hospital stay, a coma, and the loss of her legs and one hand. With raw honesty, she reflects on the challenges of recovery, the power of self-advocacy in the healthcare system, and the delicate balance between caring for others and hersel...

In this emotionally charged podcast episode, guest Chris Ramlackham shares his harrowing journey from a life-threatening sepsis infection to becoming a quadruple amputee. Initially experiencing severe symptoms, Chris requested that his mother drive him to a doctor; however, their decision to head to the hospital instead turned out to be life-saving. The doctor later revealed that if they had delay...

The Next Step is a podcast about resilience, community, and real stories of life after limb loss. Hosted by amputees Kevin Gray and Chris Ramlackhan, we share honest conversations with people who have lost a limb—or multiple limbs—highlighting their challenges, victories, and personal journeys. Whether you’re living with limb loss, a caregiver, or someone seeking inspiration, this podcast is here...