West Virginia firefighter Donnie Epling had only been with the Ghent Volunteer Fire Department for six months when his left leg was amputated stemming from diabetes. The disease had been causing him pain when he walked for years.
"I was ready to have it done," he told WVNS-TV.
Losing his leg, however, didn't mean Epling would stop working for the fire department.
"I wasn't about to give up, " he told WVNS. "I'm just a go getter I just wanted to keep going and going even though sometimes my body tells me slow down my mind says keep going."
Not only has he learned how to navigate fighting fire with his prosthetic limb, he's also earned the trust of his fellow firefighters that he could still do the physically demanding job.
"I had my doubts, but he's proved us all wrong," Capt. Chris Vanderhans told the TV station. "He has his limitations, but I don't think he's met any of those yet."
