Meet Niel Flamm: Resilience, Real Life, and a Few Good Stories
At 53, Niel Flamm has turned some very tough plot twists into a story he shares openly—with grit, humor, and plenty of personality. In May 2023, after sepsis developed from a wound in his right foot, Niel became a right above-the-knee amputee. It was a life-changing turn, and he met it the way he meets most things: honestly, head-on, and with a determination to keep moving forward.
Through his vlog and website, NielFlamm.com, he brings viewers along for the whole ride. There are short-form videos in 9:16, longer videos in 16:9, and stories about the everyday stuff as well as the big stuff: dating, travel, work, medical challenges, recovery, and figuring out what comes next. The message is simple: life can still be meaningful, adventurous, and full of surprises—even when the road gets bumpy.
Then, in September 2024, another major chapter began: Niel was diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). While waiting for a living or deceased donor kidney, he goes to dialysis three times a week for about four hours per session. That’s a lot of time with a machine—and plenty of time to think, create, and keep showing up. Niel shares the unfiltered reality of managing serious health conditions while still making room for work, travel, laughs, and new plans.
In July 2025, a change to his dialysis schedule gave Niel a routine better suited to full-time work. He began looking for opportunities in Learning & Development, drawing on more than 20 years of experience as an L&D Leader, Instructional Designer, and Content Strategist. He brings professional know-how to the search—and the perspective of someone who knows a thing or two about adapting when the plan changes.
And Niel never runs out of things to make, explore, or talk about. His growing collection includes:
Blog posts and videos about life as an amputee, diabetes, kidney disease, travel, movies, music, and whatever else catches his attention.
Travel stories and cruise diaries, including the Celebrity Reflection, packed travel days, hotel reviews, and the practical realities of cruising as an amputee.
Medical updates with honesty and humor, from dialysis and nausea to cataract surgeries, ambulance rides, and being a “lab rat” for MUSC physical therapy students.
Creative projects and playful posts, including song lyrics, social media captions, promotional images, satire, and wonderfully unexpected fictional scenes.
Community advocacy, with a focus on accountability, neighbor-to-neighbor transparency, and making online spaces safer and healthier.
Professional insights on job searching, leadership, L&D strategy, measurement, perseverance, and kidney transplant readiness.
Helpful explainers and reviews covering topics from car trouble and consumer tech to travel logistics and everyday questions.
Some days, Niel is talking about dialysis. Some days, he reviews a hotel, breaks down a car issue, writes a song about his future ex-wife, or calls out a community platform that needs to do better. There’s room for all of it here—because real life doesn’t stick to one category.
Niel’s work is personal, practical, funny, and always evolving. He hopes it helps people learn something, laugh, feel understood, or feel a little less alone.
Come along for the next chapter: resilience, creativity, and real life—with the occasional unexpected detour.