Larry’s Story…

Looking back over his life, he never knew he would have the strength to survive and overcome all that has happened within the past several years.”  The struggle began when Larry was diagnosed with Diabetes in 1985. Although he had been an athlete, martial artist, body builder and physically fit for all of his life, he was now faced with a condition that would affect his health forever. After the diagnosis, Larry said he made the necessary adjustments to cope with this disease through proper diet and exercise. Over twenty years later, after minimal complications from the diabetes, Larry was faced with another diagnosis of Sarcoidosis, an auto-immune disease and cancer – Multiple Myeloma to be exact. Larry and his wife Patricia found themselves battling the effects of these diseases with countless trips to doctor appointments and going through different procedures and treatments. In the midst of all this, Larry temporarily lost his eyesight as a result of the diabetes and also went through a bout with shingles, which was, as he put it, “the most excruciating pain ever!”

The Surgery… In 2014, after losing two toes and battling a diabetic ulcer in his left foot, Larry was told by the doctors that they would need to amputate his lower left leg to keep the infection from spreading any further throughout his body. After prayer and council, Larry decided to proceed with the amputation. The surgery went well and the recovery process took over six months. In 2015, after therapy and fitting for a prosthetic limb, Larry began to walk again. There were some minor complications with his leg (sores, blisters, etc.) but overall he recovered well. During this process of recovery, Larry discovered that living without a leg was challenging, but one of his difficulties was in putting on and taking off his pants.

The Birth of Amput-eezy…

During this trying time, the idea of “Amput-eezy” was birthed. This was an idea Larry had to help make putting on jeans easier for amputees, hence amput-eezy. Larry designed a mock pair of jeans by cutting a slit down the leg up above the knee and adding a zipper for easy access in and out of jeans. Since his invention, he has had so many compliments and inquiries about the jeans from other amputees.

Larry has acquired a provisional patent for his design and has a pending utility patent. In 2016, he started his business American Apparel for Amputees, which provides fashionable and quality jeans, slacks and suits, for men and women. When asked how was he able to get through such difficult times, Larry says, “he is an overcomer and through Christ he can do all things!”