Three Years a “Lab Rat”: Why I Keep Going Back to MUSC to Help Train the Next Generation of Physical Therapists
Every year, I make the familiar drive to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston to take part in one of my favorite annual traditions: serving as a “lab rat” for physical therapy students learning to work with amputees. This year marks my third year of volunteering, and each time I leave the campus, I’m reminded why this experience is so meaningful—not just for the students, but for me too.
And yes… I call myself a “lab rat” with pride.
Why I Do It: The Benefits for Me
Volunteering as an amputee model gives me far more than a few hours of stretching, balance testing, or gait analysis. It gives me purpose. Here’s what I walk away with each year:
1. I Get to Share My Journey
Losing a limb changes more than your physical abilities; it changes how I see the world, navigate challenges, and approach life. By sharing my experiences openly with future physical therapists, I get to turn my story into something that helps others. That’s powerful.
2. I Learn Too
Every session exposes me to new techniques, approaches, and even technologies that students are learning. In a way, I get a free yearly tune-up—tips on movement, posture, muscle balance, and little insights that help me improve my own mobility.
3. It Gives Me a Chance to Advocate
Amputees are often misunderstood, even unintentionally. Misconceptions about mobility, pain, prosthetics, and limitations come up all the time in the real world. By participating, I get the chance to break down those myths early in these students’ careers.
4. Laughter Is Good Medicine
I always come armed with jokes. Call it stress relief, call it emotional bonding—either way, humor lifts the room. I tell stories, crack lines about “missing parts,” and use laughter to erase the awkwardness students sometimes feel when working with an amputee for the first time. Humor builds trust, and trust builds better clinicians.
Benefits for the Students
This isn’t just helpful for me—this is hands-on experience that physical therapy programs can’t replicate with mannequins or textbooks.
1. Real-World Complexity
Every amputee is different. Limb length, tissue sensitivity, gait, balance, and muscle compensation can’t be entirely taught in a lecture. Students get to assess a real person with real adaptations and challenges.
2. Communication Skills They Can’t Learn from a Book
They quickly learn that working with patients isn’t just about anatomy, it’s about empathy, conversation, body language, and listening. When I share what helps and what doesn’t, they get practical insights they’ll carry throughout their careers.
3. Exposure to Lived Experience
I talk openly about my own process—what physical therapy did for me, the frustrations, the breakthroughs, the hilarious moments no one warns you about, and the best practices I’ve learned along the way. Students always tell me how valuable that honesty is.
4. Building Confidence
For many students, I’m the first amputee they’ve ever worked with. That initial uncertainty disappears quickly once we start talking, laughing, and working through the exercises. I watch them grow more confident right in front of me.
The Power of Shared Humanity
Each visit to MUSC is a reminder that education is not a one-way street. I show up to help them learn, but I also walk out feeling stronger, more connected, and more grounded in my own journey.
Through jokes, demonstrations, practice drills, and honest conversations, we build a bridge between lived experience and clinical understanding. These future physical therapists will go on to help thousands of patients over their careers—and knowing I played even a small role in shaping their skills feels incredibly rewarding.
So yes, I may be the “lab rat,” but this annual tradition is one of the most human, meaningful, and empowering things I do. And as long as MUSC keeps inviting me back, I’ll keep showing up—with my prosthetic, my story, and my sense of humor in tow.
When the Promise of Engagement Isn’t the Reality
An article like “Why share to #Nextdoor” from Newspack outlines how the platform’s integration enables publishers to reach verified neighbors and drive meaningful local engagement.
https://help.newspack.com/share-posts-to-nextdoor/
Yet what I’ve observed tells a very different story: on the very platform that promotes connection, my posts raising questions about transparency and accountability are repeatedly suppressed, engagement functions are removed, and meaningful dialogue is blocked.
If you claim a mission of “connecting neighbors” and offering true local reach, then silencing conversation and moderating through unpaid moderators under a vague suspension policy doesn’t just contradict your words — it undermines your entire value proposition.
Engagement isn’t a feature to be turned off when the conversation gets hard. It’s the foundation of trust, community, and credibility.
NielFlamm.com
#Nextdoor #CommunityTrust #DigitalTransparency #EngagementMatters #CorporateAccountability
When Mission Means Action — and What Happens When It Doesn’t
The recent article on Spokane Helpers Network highlights something powerful: volunteers stepping into real need, building genuine neighbor-to-neighbor connection, and acting when hunger hits. The nonprofit delivers over 120 meal kits each week and fills a gap for those left behind by traditional systems.
https://www.spokanejournal.com/articles/17627-spokane-helpers-network-bridges-gap-to-feed-the-hungry
Contrast that with #Nextdoor, a platform whose published mission is to “connect neighbors” and empower communities. Yet in practice, I see the opposite:
Engagement on #Nextdoor’s own posts is silenced or removed.
Moderation often relies on unpaid, untrained moderators under a vague suspension policy.
Transparency around data, analytics, and “reach” is missing.
While communities face real issues—like food insecurity during a federal shutdown—#Nextdoor seems silent.
The Spokane Helpers Network isn’t just about words — it’s about action. When a platform claims to be community-first yet spends resources managing narrative rather than helping neighbors, the mission becomes hollow.
Suppose #Nextdoor truly wants to be about connection. In that case, it should embrace open dialogue, prioritize community support, and hold its analytics and moderation practices to the same standard as nonprofits doing real work. Otherwise, advertisers, investors, and neighbors alike must ask: Is this platform really built for community, or for control?
I remain open to honest discussion — and I look forward to #Nextdoor reaching out to address these concerns directly.
NielFlamm.com
#Nextdoor #CommunityTrust #DigitalTransparency #NonprofitImpact #DataIntegrity #CorporateAccountability #NeighborhoodSupport
Nextdoor Is Moving Contrary to Its Own Mission
Nextdoor was built on the promise of connecting neighbors and strengthening community conversation. But what I’m seeing now is the opposite.
As shown in my illustration, Nextdoor has effectively shut down all engagement on its own posts—no comments, no dialogue, no opportunity for the community to ask questions or share perspectives. When a platform that claims to thrive on neighbor-to-neighbor connection disables the very engagement it promotes, something is fundamentally off-mission.
A true community platform welcomes questions. It invites accountability. It encourages transparency.
Silencing engagement—whether through hidden posts, removed comments, or freezing conversations—doesn’t strengthen communities. It protects narratives. And it raises reasonable concerns about whether Nextdoor is prioritizing authenticity… or simply avoiding scrutiny.
A mission-driven company should never fear the voices of the people it claims to serve.
#Nextdoor #TransparencyMatters #CommunityEngagement #DigitalEthics #CorporateAccountability #CommunityTrust
Press Release: Questioning Nextdoor’s Q3 Results Amid Concerns of Inflated Metrics and Lost Mission
Mount Pleasant, SC – October 30, 2025 – Following Nextdoor’s recent announcement of record Q3 revenue and positive adjusted EBITDA, community advocates are questioning whether the company’s reported growth truly reflects its stated mission — to connect neighbors and strengthen communities.
Niel Flamm, former user and digital transparency advocate at NielFlamm.com, has expressed concern that Nextdoor’s reported advertising reach and user engagement figures may be inflated. Thousands of users have been suspended or removed without apparent cause or communication, raising doubts about the validity of audience metrics presented to advertisers.
“Advertisers deserve honest data,” said Flamm. “When suspended or terminated profiles are still counted in engagement and reach statistics, the value proposition becomes misleading. A platform built on connection should not profit from silence.”
Flamm has also called attention to Nextdoor’s lack of tangible community support during the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, which has left many families struggling. “While claiming to connect neighbors, Nextdoor has yet to offer meaningful aid — such as funding meals or essential supplies — to households impacted by the shutdown,” Flamm stated. “A proposed truce included a simple gesture: provide Walmart gift cards for families relying on SNAP benefits. To date, there’s been no action.”
The response underscores a growing sentiment that Nextdoor’s priorities have shifted — focusing on financial performance over genuine neighborhood connection.
“Neighbors deserve more than quarterly results,” said Flamm. “They deserve transparency, accountability, and a platform that invests in the communities it claims to serve.”
For more information on this statement and ongoing calls for transparency, visit NielFlamm.com.
Media Contact:
Niel Flamm
📩 niel@NielFlamm.com
🌐 https://NielFlamm.com