Keep Moving Forward!

Hello. My name is Adria King, but I am better known as “Ms. Nikki.” I am from Charlotte, NC. During the day, I work full-time as an activity and enrichment coordinator at INREACH, a company that supports adults with various needs. At night, I am a mother of three, peer mentor, inclusion model, advocate for change, and voice for people who suffer from limb loss/limb differences.

My amputations were the result of septic shock after being bitten by a spider while completing a haircut service for a shut-in.  The poisonous brown recluse had gotten trapped in my clothes and bit me four times.  The area around the bite became infected, which sent my body into septic shock.  As a result of the sepsis, I suffered amputations of both legs and part of my left hand.  I woke up from a long coma, a new triple amputee.  Right AK left BK and partial left hand.

The recovery process was filled with uncertainty.  I learned quickly that my success depended on asking questions and building a strong peer support network with individuals who had already walked in my shoes.  The first few months of recovery retaught me the theory of walking, balancing, and what it takes to be a successful amputee.  It also highlighted the importance of matching other amputees with mentors they could relate to.  Connecting similar people and creating amputee resources and supply outreach became a mission for me, and it soon became a non-profit organization.

As the founder of Private Amputee Coaching Services, I use the power of sharing my experiences as a prosthetic user to motivate and encourage new amputees and people who are having difficulty with their doctor’s suggestion to amputate over continuing treatment.  It is my goal to help people move past their limb loss.  By experience, I know that all it takes to move forward is reassurance from another limb loss sufferer.  With my experience and their choice, we create a plan that takes small, meaningful steps to find security before, during, and after their recovery process.

I have walked on some of the markets’ most competitive hybrid and micro-processor knee products.  As a great walker, I will put any product to the test.  Last year, I became proud to be part of the US product development and launch team for the best new devices on the market.  I can walk confidently on different surfaces, terrains, up and down hills and stairs, with the PROTEOR SYNSYS microprocessor full-leg system on my left side, and the Kinnex microprocessor ankle on the right.  This dynamic duo has also given me the ability as a bilateral amputee to wear a pair of heels, walk barefoot, and even store up to 10 different heights for pairs of shoes with one simple click on a phone app.

For 2025, I look forward to empowering more people who need encouragement, hosting another Moved2Motivate limb loss/limb difference awareness event in April, and continuing to bring survivors together to celebrate their lives.  I also will be relaunching the Moved2Motivate radio show and podcast.  I want people to know that it is possible to “Live their best life after limb loss”