Episode 5 - Interview with Josiah Puyear

Episode 5 of the Suffer First Podcast is a special one for me. This is the first interview I’ve published and it’s also an interview with my son, Josiah. He’s 21 years old and has lived with the use of only his right leg for the last nine years. Josiah had his left leg amputated when he was 12 years old due to a rare congenital vascular disorder called, Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS). KTS may affect various limbs of the body by causing port wine stains (red-purple birthmarks involving blood vessels), varicose veins, and too much bone and soft tissue growth. Limbs may be larger and longer than normal as well. The cause of KTS is yet unknown. In addition to KTS, Josiah also had and continues to have lymphatic malformations in his lower left extremity.

Despite this, Josiah leads a full, productive, and engaged life. He’s 21 years old and doesn’t have it all figured out yet, but he’s an amazing young man and I’m extremely proud of him. I’ve never known him to allow KTS or the lymphatic issues to stop him from doing anything he wants to do. He’s a hunter, snow skier, rock climber, weightlifter, and has competed in track and field.

I hope you enjoy this interview and are able to take away something for yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed spending this time with him and even learned some things about him that I didn’t know.

Below are some links you may want to visit. The first link will give you some additional information about Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome and the others are organizations for amputees and other disabled folks, which are worthy of your support. My wife and I are supporters of these organizations and we’ve been very blessed by their work. We would be grateful if you too considered supporting these worthy groups.

Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/klippel-trenaunay/symptoms-causes/syc-20374152

K-T Support Group - https://k-t.org/

Amputee Coalition - https://www.amputee-coalition.org/

Scottish Rite Hospital - https://scottishritehospital.org/

Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp - https://www.amputee-coalition.org/events-programs/youth-camp/

Annual Amputee Ski Trip - https://scottishritehospital.org/plan-your-visit/therapeutic-sports-recreation/amputee-ski-trip

National Sports Center for the Disabled - http://nscd.org/