Telling your amputee story : Miles O’Brien
One of the constants of being an amputee is the need to repeatedly “tell your story”. From curious children on the street to family, friends, workmates, and medical professionals, you are constantly asked the question: “What happened to your arm or leg?”
Being a journalist, I’ve adapted to this fairly easily, but many people find it difficult. So, I have begun a process of trying to better understand how we tell our stories.
For The Limb Shift, I’ve spoken with another journalist who found it hard at first to tell even his own family. I discovered Miles O’Brien while Googling my own story to see what was out there. Despite sharing a surname and a profession, we don’t think we’re related. Nonetheless, I found an immense amount in his journey that I could relate to.
His story will feature in a future episode of the podcast, launching in October 2026.
Miles O’Brien’s life and career shifted dramatically at age fifty-five, following a severe accident while working as a freelance science and technology journalist on a one-man-band reporting mission in the Philippines.
After stacking heavy equipment cases in his hotel room, one of the cases fell and landed on his arm. Initially brushing it off as a bad bruise due to a “fairly good dose of denial,” Miles realized within twenty-four hours that the pain and numbness were far more severe.
Diagnosed with acute compartment syndrome—where internal swelling creates dangerous blockages of blood flow—he underwent emergency surgery, but during the procedure, complications forced the surgeon to amputate his right arm above the elbow.
The Immediate Aftermath and Mental Pivot
Rather than immediately notifying his family thousands of kilometres away, Miles chose to process the shock alone.
He confronted his reality by testing whether he could still write and produce stories to support himself, opening dragon dictation software and pecking away with his remaining hand. Recognizing that he could still work was a vital psychological turning point, moving him past a brief descent into a “very dark road”.
He noted that amputees inevitably face a crucial crossroads:
“Are we going to think about what we’ve lost or are we going to start working on what it’s going to be like to operate in life in a different way?”
Embracing a “power through” mindset inspired by Winston Churchill’s maxim—”if you’re going through hell, keep going”—Miles refused to sit on the sidelines, believing that taking time off would have sent him into a tailspin.
He finally reached out to his partner and children right as he boarded a flight back to the United States.
Life Since the Accident and the “MacGyver” Approach
Back home, Miles adopted what he calls a “MacGyver” approach to daily existence, solving each challenge like an individual puzzle rather than looking at the overwhelming whole:
“Every time I was presented with a challenge of how to do something, whether it’s tying a tie or putting cream cheese on my bagel. I had to be the one armed MacGyver.”
As an experienced pilot, getting recertified to fly became his ultimate benchmark of recovery—his personal “Olympics”. By placing a hook on the yoke of the aircraft and managing the throttle closely, he proved he could fly just as well as he did with two hands.
His professional life as a television journalist also adapted. Though initially reluctant, he appeared on CNN to tell his story, and continued reporting for the PBS NewsHour, choosing not to hide his missing limb. When discussing whether to use a cosmetic hand or shoot around the amputation, his executive producer simply told him, “Miles, we love you. Come as you are”. Miles noted:
“I realized that I didn’t want to walk around hiding anything. This is who I am… I’m comfortable in my own skin and I don’t feel like I have to hide it for the benefit of others.”
A Transformed Perspective
Looking back twelve years after the accident, Miles reflects on his transformation with candor.
While he contends with phantom pain and has explored therapies to manage it, the overall impact on his worldview has been profound. He shared:
“If I would have had the opportunity to go back, I wouldn’t change things. I’m happy with my life and happy how it turned out. And I’m happy how it has changed the way I view the world, the way I view people with disabilities and the way I view my place in the world.”
Ultimately, the experience taught him that reaching out for help is a sign of strength rather than weakness. By leaning into what he has rather than dwelling on what he lost, Miles discovered a deep reservoir of resilience, turning a life-altering loss into a powerful personal win.
PS. We have the same surname, and we’re both journalists, but we’re (probably) not related!!
