“It’s hard for people to understand. The same for doctors. Their job is to save your limb and fix you, so I guess they view as some kind of failure.”

When Connie, a 36 year old single mom from New Jersey, experienced CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) following the removal of a tumor in her right leg, she knew she had to take drastic measures to continue living a life worth living. CRPS is still a big mystery, and you have very limited treatment options besides pain reducing medication.

“Pain treatment wasn’t an option for me. I’ve witnessed family members struggle with opioid addiction, and I could not go down the same road.”

She decided to have her leg amputated below the knee. It wasn’t an easy decision, but she hasn’t regretted it for one second. However, the decision itself isn’t talked about enough, if you ask Connie.

“I’d like to break that stigma down. Now I’m able to do the things I wasn’t able to do before because of my amputation.”

Connies draws inspiration from people she meets every single day. People that are not only struggling with physical traumas, but also struggles that you’d normally turn your blind eye to.

“Whether I run to the story and there’s someone standing with a sign asking for help or someone struggling with a totally different disability, I find it inspirational. I just view hardships differently now.”

Connie was lucky enough to meet Kelly Worrell, an Olympic para-triathlete, early on after her amputation. Kelly was a, in Connie’s own words, phenomenal mentor for her, helping her back on her feet from the get-go. Besides Kelly, Connie has only met 3 amputees in the Jersey area.

“A lot of that has to do with Covid. All support groups were shut down. Now I search online for inspiration. YouTube, Instagram, you name it. At some point I’m going to learn to flip like Renato (a backflipping amputee from Brazil). I’m coming for you guys, I’m going to learn it. We have a trampoline, so it’ll provide a soft landing,” she says with a big smile.