An Army of Normal Folks - Jenn Andrews: I Want To Be The Person That I Needed (Pt 2)

Episode Date: July 15, 2025

Jenn had to amputate her right leg due to sarcoma cancer. She committed to helping patients like herself and she soon found her cause in the tragedy of insurance companies not paying for prosthetics for running, swimming, or any other athletic activity. The Move for Jenn Foundation has since paid for 63 activewear prosthetics!Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/premiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey everybody, it's Bill Courtney with An Army Normal Folks and we continue now with part two of our conversation with Jen Andrews right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors. A murder happens, the case goes cold. Then, over a hundred years later, we take a second look. I'm Paul Holes, a retired cold case investigator. And I'm Kate Winkler-Dawson, a journalist and historian. On our podcast, Buried Bones, we reexamine historical true crime cases.

Using modern forensic techniques, we dig into what the original investigators may have missed. Growing up on a farm when I heard a gun shot, I did not immediately think murder. Unless this person went out to shoot squirrels, they're not choosing a 22 to go hunting out there. These cases may be old, but the questions are still relevant and often chilling. I know this chauffeur is not of concern, you know, it's like, well, he's the last one who saw our life. So how did they eliminate him? Join us as we take you back to the cold cases that haunt us to this day. New episodes every Wednesday on the Exactly Right Network. Listen to Barry Bones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Open AI is a financial abomination, a thing that should not be, an aberration, a symbol

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Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this Taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that Taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated.

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is coming back to Las Vegas. Vegas! September 19th and 20th. On your feet! Streaming live only on Hulu. Ladies and gentlemen. Brian Adams and Sheeran. Fade, Glorilla, Jelly Roll, John Fogerty, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, Mariah Carey, Maroon 5, Sammy Hagar, Tate McCrae, The Offspring, Tim McGraw.

Tickets are on sale now at axs.com. Get your tickets today, axs.com. Do you remember Vine? It changed the internet forever and it vanished in its prime. I'm Benedict Townsend and this is Vine, six seconds that changed the world. The untold story of genius, betrayal, and the app that died so that TikTok could thrive.

From overnight stars to the fall that no one saw coming, we're breaking down what made Vine iconic. Listen to Vine on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. ["The Last Supper"] listen to podcasts. How long between the day they take your foot and you actually get a... How long does that when people have an amputation, what is that gap of time? Okay.

So I'm going to preface this in case there are any amputees listening because I mentor a lot of amputees and I always share this information with a grain of salt because I did not come out of a trauma situation. I wasn't in an accident. I didn't have chemotherapy. I didn't have all this additional healing to do. So I went from like a surgery, healing really well, actually in the hospital, they said I could be there

any time from like two days to two weeks or more. And I was out of there on day two. And actually I have a really good story about that too. So the nurse came in with all my things and there was a walker and I was ready to go. And she wheels in a wheelchair. And I declined it and I was like, no thank you. And she said, well, you have to go all the way down the hall

in the elevator down through the lobby to the parking lot. And I looked at her and I said, I walked myself into this hospital, I'm gonna walk myself out. So what'd you use, the lobby to the parking lot. And I looked at her and I said, I walked myself into this hospital, I'm gonna walk myself out. So what'd you use, the thing to hop? Yeah, I used like an old man. And you hopped. And I like step, hop, step, hop,

and I walked myself out of the entire hospital and I got in the car. And she just kind of sat there and looked at me like I was insane. But for me, I needed to do that, like sitting in that chair. That's boss work right there. I just knew where my head space was, I was insane. But for me, I needed to do that, like sitting in that chair. That's boss work right there. I just knew where my head space was.

I knew where my goals were. So to answer your question about the prosthetics, I got my first prosthetic at four and a half weeks post-op, which is pretty early. But again, I was only healing from surgery. I didn't have the trauma of everything else. So an amputee could deal with five weeks to five months, depending on how long it takes to heal up and get that thing on and all that. weeks to five months, depending on how long it takes to heal up

and get that thing on and all that. Probably not five months, but I feel like four to 12 weeks maybe, depending on how. So what do you do? Use crutches or a wheelchair in the meantime? I did not use a wheelchair ever. I used crutches and then I used a walker. But people, just in general,

amputees in general? Oh yes, amputees in general, wheelchair. I also use the I walk which is like a Handless crutch were like for a below-the-knee amputee. You could use it like for someone who's had foot surgery They would use it But essentially your knee is balanced on a platform with a crutch under it seen that yeah And so I use that to get around a little bit sometimes initially ever fall Yes, I fell with crutches. I was with my mom around a little bit sometimes, initially. Did you ever fall? Yes. I fell with crutches.

I was with my mom at a shopping center. Thank god. They had this thing called the Ampie shield. It was like a hard shell plastic that they would put over your residual limb. And thank god I had that on that day. But I missed the curb. And I went down like a sack of potatoes.

And they were doing all this construction in this new shopping center. And all the construction workers swore me and tried to pick me up, and they were like, are you OK? I was so embarrassed. But thankfully I had that shield on my leg, so I didn't do any damage. But had I not had that, it would have been really bad.

Wow. All right. So up to this point, it's a story of a girl who had a really bad stroke a lot with a pea-sized nodule, had to get your foot amputated, and you and your friends did this move for Jen Facebook thing. It was really supportive, probably woke people up to not taking for granted the things we do have.

Great, but that's not a foundation. to not taking for granted the things we do have, great. But that's not a foundation. No. How does Jen the mom with her foot chopped off and doing a Facebook thing and having some people with t-shirts morph into a foundation and why? So in my initial prosthetic appointments when I was getting fitted for a walking foot,

so with prosthetics they don't make one that does everything. So you need one to walk, you need one to run, like a running blade, you need a waterproof foot if you wanna swim, they make snowboarding and skiing prosthetics. Really? Yes. How much do these things cost?

They are anywhere between, like with the socket and everything, like between five and $ fifty thousand dollars depending on how customized. Fifty thousand dollars for what? For the customized socket and the specialized foot. It depends how specialized and how customized. I would say the average for like just the average is probably fifteen to twenty thousand. That's a lot of money. It's a lot of money but what's crazy is the lifetime of these prosthetics is three to five years. So after three to five years you have to replace. What is a socket?

I I assume the socket is like the cavity of the prosthetic that your limb fits into Correct, and it's custom made to you. Yeah, it would be like molded I would like when they do a mold of your teeth. Yes, but now they're starting to 3D scan, but yes. So it was like a foam mold or something? They would actually cast you. Really? And then pour a mold of the cast. So you're sticking your limb into something

that they cast you, and that cast becomes the socket for your limb to fit into this prosthetic. So if you think about, like, if you were to break your arm, like, that cast, they would take that and do a cast around your residual limb, let it dry, take it off. They would pour, like, a silicone substance inside to get the shape of your leg, and then they will make the socket part,

usually out of, like, a carbon fiber, that your leg will go in. Does that make sense? Yeah, okay. But if you wanna swim, you gotta have a waterproofing. Walking around, I guess you wanna comfy one, I don't know. Well, everybody likes different things. Actually, it's funny, I was sitting on the plane today

next to an amputee, which like never happens. So we had like a really good conversation on the plane, but they have feet that have like microprocessors where it'll have like fluid ankle movement and it'll kind of keep up with your cadence. They have ones like I have that have way more like spring and give back for more energy return. And that's what I like because I like lighter

and more active. So it just depends on kind of what your goals are. But unfortunately- That is crazy. It is crazy. Yeah. So in just depends on kind of what your goals are. But unfortunately- That is crazy. It is crazy. Yeah, so in those appointments, I said, okay, like, great, like I want to walk. Hold it, I got another question.

Oh yeah, go ahead. I'm so sorry. No, go for it. I'm sitting here thinking through this. So if you're going on a trip to the beach. Yeah, I have multiple feet. That's my question. Yeah.

Well then your luggage fees must be insane because you got to carry six of them. And I guess you don't want to put them in your luggage. So do you carry your foot on? So actually, it's funny. I have put them in my luggage before, because I never really had a bag that properly fit my prosthetics.

But I'm actually an ambassador for Lou Lemon now. And they have a special prosthetic bag for their Paralympic athletes that's not available for purchase, and they surprised it with me recently. And so I was able to carry my prosthetics on in that bag. With these things costing that kind of money, I wouldn't check them.

It's horrible, but a lot of times they don't give you the choice. But that's the life of an amputee. Right, I know. Wow, okay. So, I told you, I chase stuff up trees like squirrels. No, you're good. Because this is, yeah, all right. By told you, I chased stuff up trees like squirrels. No, you're good. Because this is, yeah. By the way, I was the keynote for the Paralympics.

Were you really? Yeah. And there's a girl there named Katie Holloway who you should meet. Okay. She had her about the same place you did. Had her front amputated when she was like six or seven. Okay. And she was athletic as she could be and schools kept cutting her. She got a prosthetic to let her play basketball, not special Paralympic basketball, straight up against everybody else basketball. Okay. And schools kept cutting her because they're like, well one legged girl can't play basketball.

And her mom kept saying, Yes you can. Yes you can, yes you can. Anyway, she ended up going to high school and she wore a knee brace. Okay. Over her prosthetic. Clearly, you don't need a knee brace

when you don't have a leg below there. Right. But she did it because she didn't want people But clearly, you don't need a knee brace when you don't have a leg below there. But she did it because she didn't want people to think to not play. She wanted people to play straight up against her. Absolutely. Yeah. Right? She ended up playing college basketball.

She at Cal State Northridge ended up being the sixth man of the year for the entire conference, with one leg. And then she joined the Paralympics and is a gold medalist volleyball player. Three time gold medalist. Her name is Katie Holloway. She's bad, and I love her. So anyway, I met her when you said Paralympics. I met her. I'm sorry So that's the one amputee friend I have okay, it's Katie Holloway. Yeah, and I think the world of this woman

so You get your foot. Yep. All right, but we don't have a foundation. No, so I get a lot You said it was when you were getting your prosthetic is when something yes So I was at the prosthetic office getting my walking foot. But you said it was when you were getting your prosthetic as when something happened. Yes. So I was at the prosthetic office getting my walking foot. And I said, okay, let's talk running blades because I want to get back to everything I did before. And they looked at me like I was crazy and said, okay, well, running blades are extra.

And I said, okay, well, what does extra mean? And they said, it's going to cost you anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000. And they have to be replaced every three to five years. And I said, so you mean to tell me that I was super active before I want to maintain my healthy lifestyle and insurance is not going to pay for me to do that, but they're going to pay for my health to decline and support that. And they said pretty much. And I walked out of that appointment and I was so angry thinking about all the

people who weren't being active because of the financial burden. And I always say the only thing worse than what I went through would be if it was my child. And I was already in a situation where as a mom I couldn't get out and run and play with my kids at the capacity that I wanted to. But for the parents who just went through cancer with their kids and I mean let's be honest cancer thankfully I wasn't in this position but cancer can do you know detrimental things to your financials and really put you in some hardship situations.

And I just kept thinking about all the families who, like, for a parent to tell their kid that they can't run because they can't afford it. Like, I literally, my blood was fricking boiling. And so I walked out of that appointment, I was like, this is wrong, this is not okay, I wanna do something about it. And so we launched-

And you had a background in insurance. And you had a background in insurance. And I had a background in insurance. Which is ironic. Right. But did you start hating your industry? Hating my industry, no, but like, not under, yeah. Like where are these gaps coming from, and like why is this like this? And I wasn't in health insurance, I was in ancillary lines.

I get it, but. But still, yeah. Definitely learned the importance of short-term disability and long-term disability, so yeah. But at the same time, yeah, I mean, it's a screwed up system, and especially in our country, like it's just, there's so much wrong, like so much wrong. And so yeah, so I launched Move for,

well, we launched Move for Jen two and a half months after I lost my leg. And almost that really in itself was such a blessing in disguise because it redirected my focus from myself to other people. Like it took my story and it wasn't, it wasn't gonna be about me anymore. So what was the goal?

Figure out how to raise money for prosthetics for people who can't afford them. Yeah. So that's the goal. That's the whole Move4Gene idea. The idea behind Move4Gene was to raise funds for sarcoma amputees. So specifically sarcoma, sarcoma, cancer, and affiliated disease. And so we wanted to fund active wear prosthetics to those who lost limb to cancer and then also sarcoma research because there's not a cure and there's not enough research and cancer in itself is majorly underfunded, especially now with everything going on

and it was already bad before. But for sarcoma, the research for that out of the small percentage that is cancer research is like a fraction of that. So I wanted to help support that and figure out a way to make it different. And so that's what we did. This was May of 2018. We'll be right back.

A murder happens. The case goes cold. Then, over a hundred years later, we take a second look. I'm Paul Holes, a retired cold case investigator. And I'm Kate Winkler-Dawson, a journalist and historian. On our podcast, Buried Bones, we reexamine historical true crime cases. Using modern forensic techniques, we dig into what the original investigators may have missed. Growing up on a farm when I heard a gunshot, I did not immediately think murder. Unless this person went out to shoot squirrels, they're not choosing a 22 to go hunting out there. These cases may be old, but the questions are still relevant and often chilling.

I know this chauffeur is not of concern. You know, it's like, well, he's the last one who saw our life. So how did they eliminate him? Join us as we take you back to the cold cases that haunt us to this day. New episodes every Wednesday on the Exactly Right Network. Listen to Buried Bones on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Open AI is a financial abomination, a thing that should not be, an aberration, I'm also going to be talking with the greatest minds in the industry about all the other ways the rich and powerful are ruining the computer. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you happen to get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this Taser the revolution.

But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that Taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multibillion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated on the iHeart radio really bad. our I Heart Radio Music Festival presented by Capital One is coming back to Las Vegas

September 19th and 20th streaming live only on Hulu Brian Adams and Sheeran, Fade, Chlorilla, Jelly Roll, John Fogerty, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, Mariah Carey, Maroon 5, Sammy Hagar, Tate McCrae, The Offspring, Tim McGraw. Tickets are on sale now at AXS.com. Get your tickets today at AXS.com. Do you remember Vine? It changed the internet forever and it vanished in its prime. I'm Benedict Townsend and this is Vine.

Six seconds that changed the world. The untold story of genius, betrayal and the app that died so that TikTok could thrive. From overnight stars to the fall that no one saw coming, we're breaking down what made Vine iconic. Listen to Vine on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. So, you start a foundation. Yeah. Good for you. Yeah.

What happens? So, right, so we start a foundation. Yay for you. Yay for us. You start a foundation. But the crazy- I'm gonna do something really good. Yeah. But who are you? You're this normal kid.

Yeah. Young girl with kids. Yeah. But who are you? You're this normal kid, young girl with kids. Yeah. I mean. I'm a normal young mom that was relatable to everyone. Sarcoma wasn't relatable, losing a limb wasn't relatable, but watching me like take back my life was relatable. Maybe not the context, but the process. Does that even make sense?

It does, a lot. And so, as I was saying earlier, my support for me was just next level unreal from the community, from the world, from my friends and family. It was just so beyond- Yeah, but most don't have. And I know that, that's what I was gonna say.

I know that my situation was not the norm, and I am so beyond grateful that I was supported the way I was. But the cool part about my story is that all of that support organically rolled over to Move for Jen Foundation. And that's how we started a nonprofit. And? And we started small. Like, we were grassroots.

Like, we started with small fundraisersers with local businesses who supported me and helped me with prosthetics and then wanted to support helping other people with prosthetics And how'd you find somebody to help the first time I? Mean I was already intertwined in the community anyway But I feel like people gravitated towards my story and like wanted to help make a difference for me as like a local bomb And then they were like, well, we like what she's doing and she's changing. She wants to make an impact. Like I want to be part of that. And I think sharing my story so openly and organically and really vulnerably made me relatable to my community. And they wanted to get behind that. Okay, so on on when was it 2018? 2018. Yeah.

Something else happened. became cancer free, right? Yeah. So and it's crazy that you say that because in a conversation I had later, like, I always looked March 12th as the day that I lost my leg. But I had other people in my life who looked at it as the day that I became cancer-free. And that took me a minute to like really wrap my head around. And so I was not the end, it's the beginning. Right, exactly. Because perspective is everything. And so it took me a little to like change my perspective of that day. But then my story became a platform to help other people. And I told my doctor before I had my surgery, and this was before I even had any plan for a nonprofit or any plan for anything.

I said, I don't know what my life is going to look like, but I know I'm going to be okay. And I had tears streaming down my face. And I said, when I'm okay, I want to help your patients. And I don't know in what capacity. And I don't know what that's going to look like, but I want to be the person that I needed. And so that's kind of what I chose to do is to show up for others in the capacity that I wish that I would have had.

So what I've read is the only stipulation is that you have to be a resident of the United States. That's for right now until you go worldwide, which I wouldn't be surprised if you did Although that may change. All right, and you have to have lost your leg or part of your leg or however It works to sarcoma cancer and affiliated disease $125 pace for a month of exercise classes for an amputee to 25 for a prosthetic Get liner which I want to know about that. 600 pays for three months physical therapy for an amputee.

1800 pays for a running blade. 2800 pays for driving school, who would have even thought, but obviously I guess you do have to relearn how to do all that. Oh, I had to go to Driver's Ed as an adult with in-car lessons to learn how to use a left pedal with my left foot Because I didn't want hand controls and I'm only 5'4 so crossing my foot over just I was like on the airbag So yeah had to be in car with a random man for eight hours like that was not fun But I learned and figured it out

7,500 for a custom-made socket for an amp to be which I assume $7,500 for a custom-made socket for an amputee, which I assume custom-made socket is the top part. Correct, yeah. And then the foot, blade, whatever, attaches to the socket. Correct. Which I didn't know. Yep. And then $10,000 covers the entire cost of socket.

So I have seen amputees running before, and there's this mesh thing that looks like a sock that seems to be on their leg. Yes. In between I guess their skin and the inside of the socket. Yes. Is that right? Yes. So does that get uncomfortable? Is that rub you wrong? Yes. So that's the liner and the liner will determine how your leg is suspended to you. So they have what's called a pinlock socket where the liner will determine how your leg is suspended to you. So they have what's called a pinlock socket, where the liner that goes on your leg will have a pin at the bottom that locks into the socket. I personally don't like that because it

puts all of your weight on the bottom of your residual limb. So I would feel it on my bone too much, and I didn't like that. I have one that has an inner seal, and it has a valve. So when I step in, I have a rubber ring on the outside of the liner, and it pushes all the air out of the valve and then seals my leg in.

So it's literally like a suction cup. Correct, yes. And then do you have a valve to release the air, so the suction release? I was wondering how they stayed on. Yeah, and like, do we pop it off and put it on the table? Well, no. Maybe.

Yeah, actually, I'd find it really interesting. But my question is, does I've watched people walk around these things. I'm like, how does that thing? How do you not? If you got to put your leg in, you got to pull it out. Right. Yeah, there's a button. How do you put your leg in when you move?

It doesn't come out kind of like when you get your foot stuck in the mud and you pull your foot out and your shoe stays on the mud? Yeah, that's exactly what it's like. Yeah. Yeah, so there's a valve release button to get the air. Is that everybody's? Yeah, I mean you either have the pin lock, the inner seal suction, or they have some that,

where you have this like additional sleeve on the outside that will kind of stick to the liner for you. I had that to begin with. Most amputees start with that. I didn't like it because it really restricted my knee mobility and ended up causing me more cramping and pain in my joints. And I didn't like that I had more limited movement because of that. So the inner seal works the best for me. So the socket, the thing that goes over your leg, all right, the bottom of it, I guess, has like a flange or something that you could put

different attachments onto the socket. Yes, so there'll be like some sort of component to fill the gap of space to get your height so your alignment of your hips is correct. And then whatever foot you have will go underneath that. And a lot of prosthetists don't like for you to change your feet out yourself. So a lot of people have, because it's a liability,

some people are capable of it. I'm more than capable of changing my own feet. But you know, someone who's... Yeah, it's a thing. It's a thing. I have a heel height adjustable foots that I can wear high heels where you press the button and it changes the instep of the foot.

Because otherwise the whole alignment of the leg would be off. So it's all the things you never thought about. But yeah, it's a thing. That's crazy. All right, so you start this thing in 2008. Who's the first person you raised some money for? So the first person I raised money for

was a local fireman. He was out of Lincoln. I want to say Lincoln. That's terrible. A fireman. He was out of Lincoln, I want to say Lincoln, Tim? That's terrible. A fireman? He's looking at not losing his foot, but maybe his occupation. Right.

Well, that's what he was in danger of. So he was a fireman, and he had sarcoma. And honestly, firemen are susceptible to that because of everything they're breathing in, which is kind of unfortunate. But he had sarcoma, had the amputation, and then he wasn't able to go in and run into the fires anymore, because he didn't have a foot that would accommodate running.

So we surprised him with a running blade. It was really emotional and made me realize that I was doing exactly what I was meant to do. Was he able to continue to be a fireman? Yeah. No kidding. He was able to go back to being a fireman. He was able to continue to be a fireman? Yeah. No kidding. He was able to go back to being a fireman. He was able to put a boot on it for a while,

but then he redirected. I want to say now he's police, or he's in some other. He hadn't quit being active. No, and actually now I feel like he's even more active now than he was at that time. And he actually messaged me not too long ago about wanting to come and run our next race and be a part of things, which is cool.

But when you did it and you saw how happy he was, you just said, I realized what I need to do the rest of my life. Yeah, I mean, I- You found your purpose. Yeah, I think, yeah. And I am not one of these, everything happens for a reason. I

actually really hate that saying because I don't think that I had cancer for any reason. I think I was very unfortunate in that way. But I think that again, you can't control your circumstances, but you can control your response. And I was able to take a really sad and unfortunate situation and turn it into good. So I always say like I'm a pro at pivoting, like I'm a professional pivoter. And I always say that I'm just really good. Which is odd for a person with one leg. Yeah, right?

I like your jokes. Yeah, thanks. Yeah, and I'm good at making lemonade out of lemons. Unfortunately, I've been handed a lot of lemons in life. And I don't know, like it's not the end all be all. Like bad things can happen, but it happens, I mean, not everything happens to everyone. And some people have an easier time and other people don't.

Like I can tell you from multiple aspects of life, I haven't had an easy time, but I'm not gonna sit here and dwell in it. It's, I get to be here. I get to be alive. I get to go out and do everything I did before and more. I mean, I can tell you, I walked, my goal was to walk unassisted without crutches at

eight weeks on my birthday and I did it two days before. And then I wanted to run a 5k race before the end of that year, that first year. And I ran my first 5k in a running blade without stopping at six and a half months post-op. And then at my one year anniversary, I ran my first ever 10k in Charleston, the Charleston Bridge Run, and that was further than I ever ran on two feet. So again, I think it's just mindset's everything, you know, you can choose to feel bad for yourself and your circumstances or you can say like this sucks but like how do we make the best of it and I get to be here. Like I can't tell you how many people I met through move for Jen who found out their

diagnosis even with a low grade situation later than I did and they're in I can't tell you how many people I met through move for Jen who found out their diagnosis, even with a low grade situation later than I did, and they're in really unfortunate situations or are no longer here. And so I know the reality of cancer. I know that I'm so lucky that I get to be here. And I'm lucky that I was able to take my situation and share my story and help a lot of people

and be the person that they needed when there's not a lot of people who can really understand and be there in that way. So how did it morph all of this energy all this purpose, dedication, all of this, I'm not letting it beat me all of that. I helped one fireman. I know this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Now I know this is fireman. I know this is what I wanna do for the rest of my life now. I know this is my purpose, I know this is my thing,

and let's be, I mean, we talk about an army of normal folks. You're a 30-year-old woman with two kids and a job. I mean, how much more normal could you be to now doing this? So how does it morph from that into what you're doing today? How many people have you helped? What are you doing? Tell us about what this foundation is now

that is obviously beyond your just personal story. That's what I love about it now. None of it is about me. Nothing about it is about me. And that's why I love it now. The foundation now, I just feel like everything kept organically growing. And to your point about being this normal, well, now I'm 41, but at the time 30-something,

mom with two kids, now I'm 41 with two kids. I think being a normal, relatable person is really what has, I don't know, just kept people supporting. I think I'm relatable. I think people like listen and hear me and can make correlations to their own lives, to my life or like my efforts and what I'm doing. And people have gravitated wanting to help make a difference.

Like I think a lot of times people, normal people wanna do good and they don't know how. And I think when they see somebody who's normal, who's found a path, like it's easy to jump on. We always talk about the real amazing things that happen is when somebody's passion and their abilities collide. Yeah. That's this.

Yeah. Do a T. So how many people? Tell me. Tell me what you're doing now. Tell me what this thing is. Tell me what's up today. OK. So we do a big 5K race every year. We just had our sixth one in February.

Usually we do it Q3, Q4, but this year we did Q1 and I will never do Q1 again. So 2026 is going back to Q3. We do a big race every year. We usually have about a thousand people out. It's a huge event. For everybody. For everybody.

Not just amputees, but everybody. No, no, no, yes. I do let amputees run my race free because I try to encourage people to get out and move because you can and not feel, again, the financial burden. Some people might think like, oh, I don't want to spend $30 and run a race and what if I don't get to do it? And I kind of want to eliminate all that. So if you're an amputee, reach out to me, come run my race for free. We do a kids' fun run, which is a mile long. We do a 5K race, and then we do this whole post-race festival with a DJ and food and vendors and health things

and all these inflatables for kids, and we have our own beer called Hops on One Leg. It's an IPA. So, yeah. Hops on One Leg, I love it, yeah. So, yeah, and honestly, I just have so many amazing partnerships with the community. And it's all the Mufigen Foundation stuff. Right, but I love it because we're supported by mom and pop small businesses in Charlotte,

but we're also supported by Lululemon and UnitedHealthcare and Lincoln Financial and some of these major corporations, some of the big banks, and it's great, but then we're also supported by small restaurants and small business, and I love supporting small business. So I love finding ways that we can collaborate. And I always say, I never wanna be a foundation or a person that collects a check. I always wanna use our platform.

How can we elevate the people who are supporting us and highlight them and show their efforts? And I think that's gone a long way. And so you're raising tens of thousands of dollars, hundreds, I guess. Yeah. We've raised over a million dollars to date. We've given 63 different prosthetics.

63 different people. Yeah. That specifically lost their way to sarcoma. So yes, but we have had- Or related. Or related. We had one woman who lost her limb. She hada. So, yes, but we have had- Or related. Or related. We had one woman who lost her limb. She had melanoma in her foot.

And so that she fell into our category. And we have had one other case where we had a one-off situation that our board allowed. And how much money does one of these 63 people usually take to get all situated? So it really depends because, you know, for someone who's a below the knee amputee, obviously like a socket and a foot situation is much different than someone who's an above the knee or at the hip, and they're gonna need more components.

Also, I know we talked a little bit about like a microprocessing ankle where like it has, you know, microprocessor that adds to the movement and the terrain and your cadence and all the things. That's much more expensive. It's also much heavier. In general yes. It could be five to fifty thousand dollars depending on the person. Yeah I mean sometimes I can do it for a little bit less. I have set pricing that I have negotiated with all the different manufacturers so that way it kind of cuts out a middleman. So before initially I would have to order through

like a prosthetist because all the manufacturers will only sell to a medical office. But now that we've established relationships with everybody, I have my own house account so I can go direct to the manufacturer. I know my set costs and it helps me stretch my dollars further. That's so cool.

Yeah, it is cool. We'll be right back. A murder happens. The case goes cold. Then, over 100 years later, we take a second look. I'm Paul Holes, a retired cold case investigator. And I'm Kate Winkler Dawson, a journalist and historian. On our podcast, Buried Bones, we reexamine historical true crime cases. Using modern forensic techniques, we dig into what the original investigators may have missed. Growing up on a farm when I heard a gunshot, I did not immediately think murder. Unless this person went out to shoot squirrels, they're not choosing a 22 to go hunting out there.

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We're breaking down what made vine iconic. Listen to vine on the I heart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Tell me about land. Oh, he's such a sweet kid. Okay. So land in is a seven year old boy who had osteosarcoma, who I just surprised with a running.

Osteosarcoma? Bone cancer. Yeah. Seven? Seven. Yeah. So, oh. Did they have to amputate?

They did. And he had. I mean, I know, but did they have to amputate below, above the knee? So he had a procedure that is becoming more common with kids now, it's called rotationplasty. So essentially they take out the portion of leg that is cancerous, he didn't have it in his foot, he had it in his leg.

And so what they do is they remove the portion of your leg that has the cancer, and then they take your foot, rotate it 180 degrees, and your heel becomes your knee. I know this is wild. Yes, it's wild. Slow down. They take the piece of cancer, the bone that's cancer.

They remove the portion of your leg that has cancer. And then they take your foot and turn it around. Yep. And then they use your heel. To become your knee. So you have an active joint. No way. It's wild.

Yeah. They can do that? They can do that. And what they've found is that it gives kids a lot more mobility than being an above the knee amputee. Wow. Okay, so they did that to this poor kid. Yep.

So he had that. So a girl that I was acquaintances with through mutual friends from college, she had shared his GoFundMe on Facebook and I randomly caught it. I don't know how it showed up in my feed, but I guess the algorithm caught sarcoma and I clicked it and I read his story

when I saw that he had cancer and I saw he was an amputee, so automatically I knew nine times out of 10, amputee is sarcoma. So I reached out to her and I was like, can you connect me with this family? Because I want to help. And so she was like, yes, like I actually thought about that. And I don't know why I didn't make the connection. So she connected his mom, Jen, Jen and I her name is Jen also. And we started talking and I started mentoring her through the process.

Because I feel like when like you first become an amputee, like you don't know what to ask for at the prosthetic office. You don't know what kind of feet to look for, what you want to demo or what. No, I didn't. Nothing. And I knew nothing. Like I went in blind. And you're scared. Yeah, you're scared. Absolutely.

You don't want to make the wrong choice. And you're even really scared once you're a seven-year-old kid. Yes, absolutely. That's worse than it happening to you. 100%. So I reached out to her and I was like, hey, you don't know me. I'm a friend of so and so. This is my organization. I read Landon's story.

I want to help you any way I can. I know you're probably gearing up for prosthetics. Can we connect? I'll talk you through everything. And she was like, please. So we got on the phone and we started talking. And she would ask me what to ask. I would tell her what to ask for, tell her what to, you know, what feet he should try,

like, what path she should go, what's important, what to advocate for, because, like, you just don't know. And she started crying, and she's like, I feel like God sent me, you to me, because I didn't know what I was doing, and I finally feel like I have direction. And I was like, it's okay, like, it's gonna be okay. And the more we started talking, I was like, we's okay, it's gonna be okay. And the more we started talking,

I was like, we have to help him further than this. So I said to her, would you be willing to come to Charlotte soon? And she was like, sure, what's going on? And I was like, well, we have our golf tournament and normally we keep it a surprise, but because he's your son, I wanna make sure you'd be comfortable,

but I would love to gift him a running blade. We would love to give Tim a running blade at our event because we always give surprise grants. So at every event that we have, like I always love to show people where their money goes, like you can read stories all day and that's great. But when you get to be part of a moment where you're giving mobility back to someone, it's something that is really like, it's relatable to everyone. Like you walked into my event, like you, you walked around, you got yourself a

coffee, like you're getting in a golf cart, like you're moving the whole day. Like you can put that correlation together and think like, wow, if this kid doesn't have this, like he doesn't get to do that. And so they came to Charlotte and we surprised him with a running blade. But the coolest part about our golf tournament this year, and actually a lot of people said this, we'll sometimes have amputees come to different things. And obviously we give surprise grants at all of our events, but there were so many amputees this year who came to play golf and it was so cool because it was like every couple holes you went to there was somebody with a prosthetic and it just created this sense of community that I feel like I've been striving for but

like didn't even realize that we created when we created it and it was just a really cool moment but the best part, so when Landon got to the golf tournament, he was really shy. And we gifted him the running blade in front of everyone. And we also gifted a woman a microprocessing foot for hiking. And afterwards, I said to Landon, I was like, can I take you for a ride on the golf cart?

And he was like, yeah, that'd be great. So I took him and his family around on the golf cart and we stopped and every golfer fist bumped him and high-fived him and talked to him. But he got to meet so many amputees on the course that day. So he got to feel not weird. He got to feel normal.

Correct. It normalized so much for him. It made everything OK for him. Right. And so he had just started walking two weeks before that. So he was still with crutches and learning and balancing and learning how to weight bear. And he went from being this shy reclusive kid when

he first got there to like, do you play roblox? Do your kids play roblox? Like, can you come and hang out with me in Kernersville where I live and can we run together? And I want to come to Charlotte and hang out with you. And he was just a sweet, I mean, he opened up completely. And when he left, his mom messaged me and said that he told her on the way home that he was gonna work really hard to not need crutches so he could be like everybody else at the tournament. And that to me was like what Move for Jen's all about.

Must have pay off. Normalize it. Give people back what they're meant to do. Yeah, and we need to remember many adults might have antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicine to get through it. That doesn't happen for a cent. No, it does not.

So he's processing an internalized. Absolutely, yeah. Man, that's tough. Yeah. But, how's he doing? He's doing really good, yeah, he's doing great. He's not running yet, because it's still early, but. He's getting there.

He's getting there, he's learning how to walk. And he will. Oh, 100% he will, without question. There's a girl that we funded who lives in Cary, North Carolina. And I helped her mom through the process. She was in a fit. What's her name? Her name is Addison.

If I would have met her mom in college in a bar, we would have been best friends. So we hit it off right away. But she was in the wrong kind of prosthetic. She was in something that didn't fit well. And I caught her video on Instagram that was shared by a prosthetic office or something. And I reached out and I was like, I want to help you. Why does she not have a running blade? And she was like, well, we don't really

know about any of this stuff. And I was like, well, let's change that. And so I come to find out she was in the wrong kind of socket, the wrong kind of foot. And I'm not a prosthetist, but I know enough to be dangerous at this point. And so I made recommendations. We found a new prosthetist for her to work with

who works with active kids, not geriatric adults. And everything changed for her. And now we've given her two different walking feet, one or two running legs, I can't remember. And she literally does everything. Like she swims, she does gymnastics, she does horseback riding, she plays soccer. Like she literally does everything. She plays. She does gymnastics. She does horseback riding. She plays soccer Like she literally does play soccer. Oh, yeah

Every how can you play soccer with this thing on you with a running blade? You just you run I mean she has a running blade that has a special heel on it that one of the manufacturers make it's actually like a really great One for kids and she's able to run and keep up with the rest of the team and same thing like her mom Initially was like I hate that she's not keep up with the rest of the team. And same thing, like, her mom initially was like, I hate that she's not keeping up with the kids in the neighborhood. Like, they're playing tag, and she can't keep up. But now she can. And her mom will literally send me videos of her doing,

like, every activity possible. I mean, she was, like, at a rock climbing park. She's swimming, she's jumping, she's paddleboarding at the ocean. Like, she literally does everything. And, like, that, to me, is the biggest payoff. Some person named Connie said, I just want to thank you again, not just for giving me the grant, which has changed my life so much in the few weeks that I've had the blade, but even more support.

You know the toll that being an amputee can have on you physically and mentally. It's been a challenge finding my place again after my amputation. Sometimes I feel misunderstood, or people try to cater to me just because I'm an amputee and pity me, or more so that I don't fit into that normal body box anymore. I haven't had the opportunity to find many people like me

or people that see me for who I am beyond an amputee, or people that see me for who I am beyond an amputee or people that accept me for who I am and treat me like a normal person. What you've given me is so much more than a grant. You've given me a place where I'm fully supported and truly seen as an able-bodied person. You've helped me in more ways you other. When you hear that, what do you think? I did my job. I would think if any human being could do something that would have another human being say

that about their efforts, that you've reached a place that you feel pretty good about life and what you're doing. So what's next? What's next with the foundation? Yeah, there's a lot of things. I mean, obviously I hope we continue to grow we're looking at different ways to Expand our network expand our outreach different ways to I mean, it's a nonprofit, but it's still a business So you have to look at it that way I think initially I looked at it more emotionally than professionally and now it's definitely like a mixture.

Obviously it's personal for me but at the end of the day it's a business and so this summer we're actually hosting our first intern program. So I have 12 interns this summer that I'm leading through a whole summer program and so that's been fun. That's cool. And we have some new events coming for the fall and just really looking to expand our outreach, expand our funding, expand our give. And obviously I love speaking. I do a lot of initiatives when I can. And so any way to, I guess, like share the mission

and help more people, like that's always the goal. Which website, how do people find you? So you can go to moveforjenn.org with two Ns, Jen with two Ns, M-O-V-E-F-O-R-J-E-N-N.org, obviously also on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram. I feel like we're most active on Instagram. It's at moveforjen is the handle. But yeah, you can go on our website

and we share all the stories of everything. We have blogs on people we help and different events that we have, obviously different fundraising initiatives. July is Starcom Awareness Month, so we have a lot going on this month to bring awareness and raise funding and help more people. So that's kind of what we're all about.

That's really cool. Jen said she's game to share her email too. Yeah, can you? Yeah, I can share my email. It's jen, J-E-N-N, at moforjen.org. Yeah, for anybody that wants to help, anybody has a friend that maybe needs help, anybody that wants to donate. Or if you're an amputee and you're feeling a little lost and you don't have anybody around you who has perspective, I imagine people in your organization have

just that. For sure. And honestly, my foundation is sarcoma-based and obviously for funding, we are sarcoma specific. But when it comes to mentorship, I help everyone. I'm helping a woman right now out of Georgia who was in a really bad car accident and lost her limb. And she's one of the most incredible women I've ever encountered. I just think so highly of her.

We haven't even met in person yet, but she is literally me through this journey. And it doesn't have to be like the mentor side. It doesn't have to be sarcoma focused. It can be, you know, just anything. I'm always happy to be a resource and a person. Do you get half price pedicures though? I love that you ask that. So there is one, there's one salon near me

that I actually love the most. And they do charge me half price, which is really, really nice. It's hilarious. Yeah. So. I mean, if you can't laugh, like if I live. I literally tell people that all the time.

They're like, you make the worst jokes. I'm like, if you don't laugh, you'd cry. So it is what it is. I mean, look, man, I grew up fat and redheaded. You gotta joke at stuff. What are you gonna do, right? That's funny. You know what?

I can't do it. One random idea. Sorry to put you on the spot, Jen, but have you thought about races in other communities, like say here in Memphis, if people do a race here, I think that could be an interesting way for people to get involved. Especially given St. Jude's around.

Well, I'm just saying, I guarantee you. I guarantee you, especially to have other runners using prosthetics for them to meet them in person there and make a grant there. There's a huge running community here, all their runners using prosthetics for them to meet them in person there and make a grant there. We could always- There's a huge running community here, but I guarantee you there have been kids at St. Jude

that are amputates. Oh, I've actually funded one because she- See, from Memphis? She's not from Memphis. She lives in Arizona, but she was a St. Jude kid. Here. And St. Jude will pay for a certain number of prosthetics and certain number of resources, but she needed,

she wanted like a leg that looked like a leg. Does that make sense? To like, she didn't want a leg that looked like a prosthetic. She wanted like a skin tone one that, when she wore leggings, like she's going into high school, like it would fill out the spot. Completely understandable. Yes.

What somebody would want. But St. Jude wouldn't fund that. And and I did so yeah, there's always a gap Yeah, so if anybody's listening, you know, would you be willing to? Talk to somebody about doing races in other cities and growing I I'm always open to growing I'm always open to brainstorming. I will say the race is definitely a labor of love It's a lot of work. At this point, the one in Charlotte's a well-oiled machine, but it would take a lot.

I would need to make sure that the presence was there. I'll say that. Well, let me speak for you in one way. Yes, she'd do it, but bring sponsors. But bring sponsors. If you bring sponsors, you could pull anything off, but from somebody who's done some of that kind of work before, bring sponsors.

Yes. If so, I'm in. Jen, safe travels home. Thanks for telling your story. Thanks for coming to Memphis, but more importantly, thanks for the amazing work that you're doing for folks in a community that many people don't even understand. For Sarcoma, for one, amputees for another. And I appreciate the education.

I've always wondered about some of the things I asked you. And it's neat to speak with somebody who's so open and transparent about it that you don't feel guilty or like you're imposing when you ask somebody questions about this stuff. So I've learned a lot and- One more thing. Yeah. you asked about foundation goals. Tell them about your personal goal. What race you're doing coming

up. Oh, yeah, I am not running a marathon. I was wondering about that. I should have asked earlier. Yeah, so I signed up for the Chicago half on September 28. I'm trying to train for it. I'm having some trouble with my prosthetics, but I am scheduled to run a half marathon My first half marathon September how far is our marathon 13? Does it hurt When things don't fit properly yes, and I'm dealing with that right now, so when things fit it's okay

So I'm gonna have some adjustments made in the next little bit. I have the sneaky suspicion You're gonna power through and figure it out. I sure am. And you're gonna do it in Chicago? I'm gonna do it in Chicago. Do you wear a shirt that says, you know, do you wear your Move for Jen stuff when you run? I will wear something Move for Jen. And Lululemon. And Lululemon, yeah. Exactly. So I'll probably wear something Lululemon and then have it branded with Move for Jen. So yeah, Lululemon has been very good to me in so many ways and so good to Move4Gen and I'm super thankful for that partnership.

Well, good luck and we'll be cheering you on for Memphis. Thank you, I appreciate it. Safe travels home, thanks for your story. Sarcoma sucks. What? Sarcoma sucks. Oh, Sarcoma officially sucks. John Norman always posts that on his Instagram post.

Sarcoma sucks. Sarcoma sucks, yeah. Norman always posts that on his Instagram post. Sarcoma sucks. Sarcoma sucks, yeah. All right, thanks for being here. Thank you. And thank you for joining us this week. If Jen Andrews has inspired you in general, or better yet, to take action by donating to Move for Jen, sharing Jen's story on social media,

not being a victim, or something else entirely, please let me know. I'd love to hear about it. You can write me anytime at Bill at NormalFolks.us and I promise you I will respond. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with friends and on social, subscribe to the podcast, rate and review it. Join the army at normalfolks.us. Consider becoming a premium member there. All of these things that will help us grow. An army of normal folks.

I'm Bill Courtney. Until next time,'m telling you the story of Kelly Harnett. Kelly spent over a decade in prison for a murder she says she didn't commit. As she fought for her freedom, she taught herself the law. He goes, oh God, her and that jailhouse lawyer. And became a beacon of hope for the women locked up alongside her. You're supposed to have faith in God, but I had nothing but faith in her.

I think I was put here to save souls by getting people out of prison. The Girlfriends, Jhouse lawyer. Listen on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no.

This is Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Adventure should never come with a pause button. Remember MoviePass? All the movies you wanted for just nine bucks?

I'm Bridget Todd, host of There Are No Girls on the Internet. And this season, I'm digging into the tech stories we weren't told, starting with Stacey Spikes, the black founder of MoviePass, who got pushed out of the company he built. Everybody's trying to knock you down, and it's not gonna work, and no one's gonna like it. And then, boom, it's everywhere.

And that was that moment. Listen to There Are No Girls on the internet on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. A Body, A Suspect, and 100 Years of Silence. Buried Bones is a podcast about the forgotten crimes history tried to leave behind. A common misperception about serial predators is that every single time they commit a crime,

they commit it the same way. The past is a way of talking if you know what to listen for. New episodes every Wednesday on the Exactly Right Network. Listen to buried phones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. a dead-set on lying to your boss that they can take your job. I'm also going to be talking with the greatest minds in the industry about all the other ways the rich and powerful are ruining the computer. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you happen to get your podcasts.