Premium: The Strange Case Of The Legless Surgeon

Summary

Blocked and Reported – Episode Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Blocked and Reported
Hosts: Katie Herzog & Jesse Singal
Episode: Premium: The Strange Case Of The Legless Surgeon
Date: July 30, 2026

In this premium episode preview, Katie and Jesse deliver their signature deep-dive into weird, revealing, and sometimes dark corners of internet culture and current events. The episode kicks off with Katie’s traumatic dog story, transitions into a detailed discussion on recent controversies around the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson in public schools, and then sets up an astonishing true-crime/medical story about a legless British surgeon. The preview cuts off just as the main event—a tale involving medicine, psychology, public heroism, and police investigations—gets underway, teasing the twist-packed and bizarre saga of Dr. Neil Hopper.

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1. Doggy Drama and the Virtues of Pet Insurance

[00:33–04:14]

• Katie recounts a stressful day: Her dog Moose swallowed a popsicle stick and required an emergency endoscopy. The ordeal involved high costs, long drives due to bridge closures, and anxieties about Moose's fate.
• Pet insurance endorsement: Katie repeatedly stresses the value of pet insurance, saying it’s paid for itself every year and encourages listeners to invest if their pets are adventurous eaters.
• Memorable exchange:
  • Jesse: "Would you pay $20,000 every year to keep Moose alive?"
    Katie: "Yes."
    Jesse: "Interesting."
    [03:37–03:42]
  • Jesse proposes a dark hypothetical where Katie must pay $20k annually or Moose is harmed:
    Katie: "Yes, yes, I would do it. I would do it. I would do it. I'm a crazy dog person." [03:59–04:03]

---

2. Marsha P. Johnson Fact-Checking and School Band Censorship

[04:14–14:43]

A. Patagonia/Trademark Correction

[04:14–05:36]

• Katie issues a correction from a previous episode: The trademark examiner for the drag performer Patagonia did conduct a proper, phonetic search for the brand name. Katie apologizes for her mistake.

B. Marsha P. Johnson in the Headlines

[05:37–14:43]

• Katie discusses how the craze for Marsha P. Johnson memes and icons appears to be fading, suggesting a cultural “vibe shift.”
  • Katie: "I do think that the Marsha Johnson mania is on the wane, which I attribute in part just to the broader vibe shift. It ain't 2020 no more." [05:51–06:00]

C. Wisconsin School Band Controversy

• Incident: Watertown, WI high school band planned to perform "A Mother of a Revolution," a 2019 Omar Thomas composition inspired by Marsha P. Johnson and dedicated to the “bravery of trans women.”
  • Jesse, reading from Thomas’s website:
    "We pump our fists to honor the life, heroism, activism, and bravery of Marsha P. Johnson..." [07:50–07:53]
• Policy context: Due to a district policy requiring prior notice of “controversial issues,” the band director alerted parents ahead of time. Only one student opted out.
• School board response: After students practiced for months, the song was pulled from the program. Board claimed the piece “celebrates violence” via its ties to the Stonewall riots.
  • Quote from board statement: "...the board decided to remove the song from the concert due to its celebration of violence." [11:20–11:23]
• Jesse’s pushback: He and Katie note this reason is disingenuous, given how frequently U.S. school bands play songs celebrating historic violence.
  • Jesse: "What about like the rockets, red glare, bombs bursting in the air?" [11:22–11:27]
  • Katie: "There are endless examples of songs that celebrate war and violence, and no one bats an eye." [12:26–12:54]
• Aftermath: Hundreds of students walked out in protest; 800+ signed an open letter. A church hosted a alternative performance with composer Omar Thomas conducting.
  • Katie: "It just backfired completely and probably made people more sympathetic to the students and to the memory, the false memory of Marsha P. Johnson and less sympathetic to the school board itself." [14:10–14:43]

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3. Music Class Flashbacks

[14:43–16:25]

• Childhood band memories: Jesse and Katie share stories of their own music education (“Hot Cross Buns,” choir, flute, white kids singing spirituals).
  • Katie, on her high-school choir: "The singing was bad, but the message and the history." [16:04–16:09]
• Brief digression on a past Blocked and Reported episode about a church banning Negro spirituals sung by white choirs out of cultural sensitivity.

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4. The Strange Case Of The Legless Surgeon (Preview Ends Mid-Segment)

[16:27–21:30]

A. Introduction to Dr. Neil Hopper

• Background: Neil Hopper, a British vascular surgeon specializing in amputations, lost both legs to sepsis in 2019.
  • Katie: "In 2019, in a very strange twist of fate, Dr. Neal Hopper himself developed a severe case of sepsis and had to have his own legs amputated below the knee. Both of them. He was 42 years old." [16:51–16:54]
• Post-amputation resurgence: Hopper became an inspirational social media presence (“Bionic Surgeon”) sharing candid and uplifting glimpses into adjusting to life as a double amputee, including his physical and emotional challenges.
  • Katie (paraphrased): Neil chronicled the pros and cons of prosthetics, participated in pandemic walking challenges, and supported other amputees.

B. Poignant Anecdote

• Blog excerpt: Neil writes about missing his feet, feeling jealous when his daughter wades in the ocean, and struggling mentally with his loss.
  • Jesse, reading Hopper: "No toes, no soles, no heels, no ankles... I was never in love with them to be honest. I never really thought about them. They weren't the best feet. They weren't exactly pretty, but good God do I miss them." [18:37–19:10]

C. Rising Public Profile

• Featured in BBC interviews, national television (This Morning), and even made it to in-person selection for the European Space Agency’s disabled astronaut program.

D. Ominous Twist

• Abrupt halt to online posting in 2023.
• Katie teases a “much darker” reason for Hopper’s disappearance:
  • Katie: "Neil Hopper was arrested and I will tell. Not having feet, I will tell you why in a moment. But first we have to do some background." [21:12–21:17]
• Preview ends with a cryptic reference to a police investigation into a website called "Eunuc," promising shocking revelations for premium subscribers.

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Pet Insurance Sermon:
  Katie: “It pays for itself. At least, for us, it has paid for itself every year that we have had it... take my advice. Get the pet insurance. It will pay for itself.” [01:16–03:14]
• Controversial Art and Censorship:
  Jesse: “You wouldn’t even know that [Stonewall] inspired the song just by hearing it... we play a lot of... classical music was often written by people with very bad—I don’t know.” [11:28–11:45] Katie: “No one wants to get on Libs of TikTok... I think that public employees, public school employees in particular, should be really smart about this kind of stuff right now.” [13:09–13:59]
• Dark Foreshadowing:
  Katie (joking): “Is this gonna end with him stealing his—implicating his daughter's feet and then grafting them on?”
  Jesse: "You could just tell." [19:31–19:43]
• Preview Cliffhanger:
  Katie: “While Neil Hopper was busy living his best life as an amputee, the British police were investigating a website called Eunuc...” [21:17–21:30]

---

Key Timestamps

• 00:33 – Katie’s traumatizing pet emergency and the value of pet insurance
• 04:14 – Correction on the Patagonia drag trademark story
• 05:36 – The fading and persistence of Marsha P. Johnson iconography
• 06:32 – Watertown, WI school band plans and the “Mother of a Revolution” controversy
• 07:50 – Reading Omar Thomas’s dedication to Marsha P. Johnson
• 14:02 – Student and alumni backlash; church hosts banned song’s performance
• 16:27 – Introduction to Dr. Neil Hopper, the “legless surgeon”
• 18:17 – Moving blog excerpt about missing his feet
• 21:11 – Hopper’s arrest teased; police investigate disturbing website
• 21:30 – Preview ends, premium content teased

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Tone & Style

True to Blocked and Reported’s brand, the episode mixes irreverent banter, sharp skepticism, internet literacy, and cultural critique. Katie and Jesse alternate between deadpan humor, earnestness, and intellectual curiosity, dissecting both the profound and the absurd. Their breezy delivery and witty asides (“I’m pumping, but it sort of looks like I’m trying to get a semi truck to honk at me” [07:56]) keep the potentially heavy subjects entertaining and accessible.

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For the full story on Dr. Neil Hopper and the bizarre twist that follows, premium subscribers can listen at www.blockedandreported.org

Transcript

[A]

Hello. You're listening to a preview of a premium episode of Blocked and reported. Katie, I'm going to go out on a limb, wink, wink, foreshadowing, and tell people that they are going to want to listen to this whole episode. And if they do, they should go to blockedimported.org and become a premium subscriber, which will give you access to this full episode and all sorts of other benefits. They're amazing. In the meantime, hope you enjoyed the preview. Hello, Katie.

[B]

Hello, Jesse.

[A]

Here we are. It's the dog days.

[B]

Speaking of dogs, I had a trauma yesterday. Can I tell you about it?

[A]

Yeah, but I just want to be clear. We're so in sync that I didn't even know you wanted to talk about dog stuff. I just said that off the top of my head. It was, like, really good improvising. And you're saying that was a segue?

[B]

Yeah. We're like women who live together and start menstruating at the same time.

[A]

Well, I am also what happens when

[B]

you podcast for six years.

[A]

I'm also menstruating right now.

[B]

You're on your moon.

[A]

Okay. Yeah. Tell me what dog related story do you have.

[B]

Moose swallowed a popsicle stack yesterday.

[A]

Is he okay?

[B]

He had to get an endoscopy.

[A]

Oh, gee. Wait, they just stick a tube down Moose's throat.

[B]

It's a camera. It's like a camera with grabbers on the end of it. And they. Yes, he is fine. I am not. It was traumatic for me, and I'm significantly poorer than I was. Although I will say, for people who have pets there, particularly dogs, the pet insurance, it pays for itself. At least for us, it is paid for itself every year that we have had it. Uh, yeah, he was, you know, eating his popsicle, as you do on a hot summer day, and he just swallowed the entire stick. And then so we took him to the emergency bed and got caught in horrendous traffic on the way to the emergency vet because of the bridge. We live in this area where you have to cross this bridge to get to the mainland. And the bridge was up because if. If. Would you like a lesson in maritime law?

[A]

Yeah, I would love it.

[B]

Boats have the right of way, so one sailboat can require. Can mean that a thousand people are late to their vet appointments or whatever. And so we got stuck behind. Behind a bridge closure. So it took us two hours to get to the emergency vet. When we got to the emergency vet, they said they couldn't. They charged us 250 and said they couldn't do anything because they don't do endoscopies there. And they sent us to another emergency vet another hour away. So it was a very long day. He is fine.

[A]

They said they sedated him before they stuck it down there. Right.

[B]

Of course

[A]

you feel bad. Moose is. I'm just curious what Moose thought was going on, but I guess we'll never know.

[B]

Well, he was sedated, so, I mean, he seemed fine today. He's like. I think his throat probably hurts because he's not eating very much. But, yeah, it was. It was. It was awful. And yes, people, take my advice. Get the pet insurance. It will pay for itself. If your dog ever leaves the house or likes to eat popsicles. And he's never like. He's not. He's not like a. A chewer. He's never destroyed anything, but he just, like, gulps up, like, straight down the gullet the entire stick. And, you know, and it, like, it might have just come out the other end fine. But it's one of those things where you can't, like, it might be fine or it might kill him.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you gotta. You gotta, like, really. You gotta, like, really evaluate how much you love the dog. And that's another reason that I recommend pet insurance. Because you don't have to put a number on how much you love the dog. I mean, I guess you do. It's like what your.

[A]

Your maximum deductible do because you pay the premium.

[B]

I mean, your maximum payout for the year. So I love the dog, like, $20,000? Probably more than that, but, yeah, it takes that calculus.

[A]

Would you pay $20,000 every year to keep moose live?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

Would you pay $20,000 every year to keep Moose alive?

[A]

No. Every year, December 31, a guy shows up with a shotgun and a bag, and he's like, fill it up with $20,000 to shoot Moose every year. Without question. You would just give him the money?

[B]

I would say do Venmo, but, yeah, I don't have that kind of cash laying around.

[A]

He doesn't take. No, he doesn't take Venmo, so I gotta get cash. But he does take cat. He does take cash out.

[B]

Okay, Cash app or check. If. Yes, yes, I would do it. I would do it. I would do it. I'm a crazy dog person. I mean, he's only gonna live for another, like, 20 years. So what's that, 20 times 20,000? That's not that much money, Katie.

[A]

What are we talking about today, Jesse?

[B]

Today we're talking about A story so bizarre, I'm not sure I even know how to describe it. It's a story about medicine, about psychology, about sex, about bodies, about mental illness, about a public shaming, that this one might actually be deserved. I will let you be the judge of that. But before we get to that, I do have some follow up on our last primo episode about Marsha P. Johnson. And I have a correction.

[A]

All right. Yeah, go for it. Correct away.

[B]

Okay, so on our episode about Patagonia, the drag queen being sued by Patagonia the fleece company, I said that when Patagonia. So that's the alter ego of a man named Win Wiley. I said that when he filed to trademark his drag name Patagonia. The examining attorney at the US Trademark Office, her name is Kathleen Lorenzo. I said that she did not search the name Patagonia like the brand in this database. I based that on the public record of her searches, which apparently I don't know how to read. It looked to me like she searched variations of the drag name Patagonia like P a T T I G O N, I a P a T T I E, that sort of thing. But not Patagonia. P a T a G o N, like the brand. What I didn't realize is that she did a search for the phonetic spelling of Patagonia. I didn't realize that until I heard from my listener who corrected me. So I was wrong about that. And I apologize to Kathleen Lorenzo.

[A]

Sorry, Kathleen.

[B]

All right, next up, Jesse. Our last primo show was about one Marsha P. Johnson. The legacy versus the reality link in the show. Notes, if you missed that one. And I want to return to Johnson just briefly. So after that episode, a number of people pointed out that there appear to be fewer Johnson memes and signs and murals than there were just a few years ago. I've also noticed that although we did an episode a couple months ago about a brand new lesbian bar in Philly named after Marsha P. Johnson, I guess unknown white dyke didn't fit on the sign. But I do think that the Marsha Johnson mania is on the Wayne, which I attribute in part just to the broader vibe shift. It ain't 2020 no more. We've moved on. But there are some places where Johnson is still being mythologized. And one of those cases has led to a conflict in a local school. So for this first segment, we are going to Watertown, Wisconsin, population 22,600.

[A]

And what happened in Watertown, Wisconsin, population 22, 600.

[B]

So last fall, the High school band director in Watertown, Wisconsin, population 22,600.

[A]

That's 22,600. That's 22 thousand 600.

[B]

Announced that the band's spring concert would include the song A Mother of a Revolution, exclamation point. By a composer named Omar Thomas. Let's take a listen. Here it is being performed by the University of North Texas Wind Symphony.

[A]

You got a. You got a recording from the UNT Wind Symphony.

[B]

I did. Isn't that crazy? I actually had to go there.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Like the drums.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

All right, now we're getting some bass.

[A]

What is that?

[B]

What's that instrument?

[A]

It's like a low. It's like a French horn or bassoon.

[B]

It's sort of squeaky.

[A]

Okay, that sounds cool. That sounds like a cool sound. I mean, it's a four minute recording.

[B]

Trouble. Okay, that's probably not.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. So that piece was composed in 2019, and it is dedicated to Marsha P. Johnson. On his website, Omar Thomas, the composer, describes it as a celebration of the bravery of trans women. And he wrongly, as we know, credits Marsha B. Johnson as the instigator of the Stonewall riots. Jesse, read this quote from Omar Thomas.

[A]

We pump our fists to honor the life, heroism, activism and bravery.

[B]

Are you doing it? Are you pumping?

[A]

I'm. I'm pumping vigorously.

[B]

I'm pumping, but it sort of looks like I'm trying to get a semi truck to honk at me.

[A]

That was so fun when you were a kid and when it worked. And bravery of Marsha P. Johnson to honor the legacy of the Stonewall revolution. To honor the memory of the trans lives violently ended due to fear and hatred. And in honor of trans women worldwide who continue to exist unapologetically and who demand to be seen, I should add, we don't. She was found, I believe, drowned in one of the New York rivers. So we don't know if her.

[B]

Right.

[A]

If it was a hate crime or anything, but I don't know if he was referencing her in particular, but yeah. So how did this incredible song lead to any controversy in Watertown, Wisconsin, population 22,600?

[B]

The problem, Jesse, is that the school board in Watertown, Wisconsin, population 22,600, listens to this podcast and they know that Marsha Johnson was not actually the mother of the revolution, and they didn't want this sort of revisionist history being taught in schools. No, what happened is that according to Wisconsin Public Radio, back in October, the band director, so this was in accordance with district policy, sent a letter to Parents alerting them that this song was going to be on the docket for the spring concert.

[A]

Like, because it's controversial.

[B]

Right. So in general, the. The high school band director isn't going to tell parents what songs are for are going on on the spring program. But in 2025, the district adopted what they call the controversial issues in the classroom policy. And this prohibits things like, quote, displaying political or controversial flag signs, clothing or accessories unless related to a course of study or certain instructional materials. So no more. No step on snake flags in the classroom. That policy also mandates that, quote, teachers shall provide effective notice to parents in advance of controversial issues being instructed in the classroom.

[A]

God, I feel like I can feel a lawyer at fire starting to write. Write an angry letter. And this has to be in response to like the second Trump administration and the crackdown on a lot of education stuff.

[B]

I mean, it might be in response to Libs of TikTok. It's in response to something or maybe they had like local library grooming scandals. I don't know.

[A]

So in this. So in this. So in this case, that policy led them to send out a warning about this song, which instrumental has no lyrics.

[B]

Right, Right.

[A]

Just that the song was inspired by something parents might find controversial.

[B]

Yes. So that's why the band director sent out this note. He was trying to comply with his policy. And his note read, in part, the purpose behind studying Mother, Mother of a Revolution is not to provoke controversy, but to deepen students understanding of how music reflects the diverse experiences of humanity.

[A]

Okay, and did anyone care? Did anyone, like, object to this?

[B]

According to Wisconsin Public Radio, when he sent this out, one student opted out. That's their right. So one family had a problem with it.

[A]

No, it's not. I think they should be forced to play it.

[B]

And then in May, so many months after this song was added to the roster, so many months after they'd been rehearsing it, the school board voted 7 to 1 to pull the song from the spring performance.

[A]

Why?

[B]

So they put out a statement and that it says that, quote, concerned parents, no indication of how many brought this to their attention. And quote, according to the composer, the piece, A Mother of a Revolution was commissioned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a six day riot which included the beating of police officers and attempting to burn down a building with human beings trapped inside. Considering these factors, the board decided to remove the song from the concert due to its celebration of violence.

[A]

Okay, what about like the rockets, red glare, bombs bursting in the air?

[B]

Right.

[A]

I can Understand parents, conservative parents who. Who have conservative politics. Not wanting to celebrate this. It's just. It's not. It. You wouldn't even know that that inspired the song just by hearing it. We play a lot of cl. Like, classical music was often written by people with very bad. I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, it's possible that the program would have had some. You know, oftentimes I'm like a big high school friends guy.

[A]

So, like, you go to a lot of them. I've been to one disturbing number.

[B]

I happen to one.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like recently I went to a political rally in the high school band was playing and before it, anyway. But, like. But this is. This idea that celebration of violence cannot be included in the spring program is just completely inconsistent with what is typically played in public schools. Like the Battle Hymn of the Republic. This is performed at just about every school graduation and football game in America. You mentioned what's the Star Spangled Banner? Is that what it's called?

[A]

The Star Spank? Yes, that is. That is a natural anthem. Star Spangled Better. Yes.

[B]

There are endless examples of songs that celebrate war and violence, and no one bats an eye. And look, I think the story of Marsha P. Johnson that's commonly told is mostly bs. We did a whole show about it. But I kind of doubt the school board's decision is truly. Because they object to celebrations of violence. They are not pacifists. This is just a retroactive justification. And I suspect that in reality, the problem is more likely that the song celebrates a trans icon, and they are either personally offended by that or they are scared of the backlash.

[A]

I mean, they could say. They could say celebrating the Revolutionary War is different from trying to beat up cops during a riot.

[B]

Is it?

[A]

That would be a.

[B]

Is it?

[A]

I mean, yeah, I think so. I think wars, they're both a revolution.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I guess. I guess they're exactly the same thing,

[B]

but no one wants to get on Libs of TikTok. You can see this sort of thing. Like, one person takes a photo of the program and sends it to Chaya Raichek. And then all of a sudden, you get. You've got fucking bomb threats being called into the school. And, you know, I think that public employees, public school employees in particular, should be really smart about this kind of stuff right now. And personally, like, would I object to, like, I don't object to this song. Are there some celebrations I would object to? Like, a song that glorified Assada Shakur or, I don't know, R. Kelly's Piss Closet. Yeah, I'd probably object to a high school band playing that, but Marsha P. Johnson didn't kill anyone. And besides that, the song is instrumental. Like, you literally can't tell what it's about from the music alone. It's not going to indoctrinate anyone. Although it might confuse them about the role Marsha P. Johnson played at Stonewall, which, again, was minor.

[A]

Was there a backlash to the backlash when they pulled the piece?

[B]

Of course. So after the school board announced this decision, which again, was decided after the students had been practicing the song for seven months, hundreds of students walked out of class in Protest. And almost 800 alumni, staff, students, parents, and others signed an open letter to the school board objecting to their decision. The school board stuck with it and kept the ban in place. But then a local Lutheran church invited the students to perform the piece there, and the composer, Omar Thomas himself actually showed up to conduct them. So that's kind of sweet. And the band, it just backfired completely and probably made people more sympathetic to the students and to the memory, the false memory of Marsha P. Johnson and less sympathetic to the school board itself. And I will be interested to see what happens in their next election.

[A]

And one, apparently the conservative parents were right because I heard all 800 of the alumni, staff, students, and parents came out as trans.

[B]

Absolutely. Jesse, did you any do any, like, band or orchestra or music stuff in high school?

[A]

We all had to play recorder.

[B]

Hot Cross Buns.

[A]

We definitely at least got to. What's the step up from Hot Cross Buns?

[B]

I don't know. Twinkle, Twinkle.

[A]

I played flute from. It was annoying. Yeah, I played flute from third grade to, like, seventh grade. And just as I was getting decent at it and starting to do some improv stuff, I became improv. Well, like jazzy stuff.

[B]

Your life could be so different.

[A]

No, just as I was starting to get, like, a little bit decent at it, I was like, wait, this is gay. I'm a teenager now. Boys. Yeah, this is gay. Boys can't play flute. And then since then, the only other instrument I've. I played drums very poorly, but I don't play any instrument.

[B]

Well, you were trapped in the gender binary.

[A]

I actually was. What about you? What'd you play?

[B]

I didn't play an instrument. I mean, I took piano lessons as a kid. I was terrible. I did do some choir stuff in high school. We sang. In my high school, we sang a lot of negro spirituals. So it would be like 40 white kids singing Wade in the Water to an all white Audience. The optics might be weird now, but I think it was good. Not the singing. The singing was bad, but the message and the history. And you probably forgot about this, but we did a story last year or the year before about a progressive church in California banning Negro spirituals because a tiny number of people.

[A]

Why did you say I forgot? I remember everything we've ever did. I. Of course I remember this. It was about a progressive church in California banning Negro spiritual.

[B]

Why?

[A]

Because the people singing them were white.

[B]

Okay, you got that. You just guess it, though.

[A]

Okay, should we move on to the main event today?

[B]

Let's do it. Okay, Jesse, the main event today comes to us from Turf island, and this is one of the weirdest stories we have possibly ever discussed. So our main character today is one Neil Hopper, a British vascular surgeon who performed amputations on patients. And in 2019, in a very strange twist of fate, Dr. Neal Harper himself developed a severe case of sepsis and had to have his own legs amputated below the knee. Both of them. He was 42 years old.

[A]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[B]

Right. But the good news is, you know, there's no one better equipped to deal with suddenly becoming a double amputee than an amputation surgeon. Right. And so Neil set up an Instagram account to chronicle his journey. He called it Bionic Surgeon, and for the next couple of years, he updated it regularly. And it's full of inspirational content, wholesome shots of his wife and kids. Then there's Neil working out without legs. Neil walking the dog without legs. It's quite impressive. I can barely do those things with two legs, much less zero. And, you know, if I lost my legs, I would probably be upset about it. I would probably be cranky. Not a good patient. But Neil is both a survivor and an optimist, and he really embraced his new existence and his new prosthetics, which were very cool. Like, he's got regular prosthetics with shoes, but he also had some of those blade things, like the South African guy who killed his girlfriend. An upgrade, I think.

[A]

Oscar Pistorius.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Nice.

[B]

So Neil also became a good resource for other amputees, and his post would go into detail about the pros and cons of various prostheses. He did a lot of those virtual walking challenges that were popular in Covid times. You know, like you walk the length of the Inca Trail on a treadmill, and then you get a medal saying you've done the Inca Trail, that kind of thing. He also made a charmingly Geocities esque Website also called the Bionic Surgeon which where he would put out occasional blog posts. So here's an example from June 2020. This post is called Downs as well as up. So Jesse, please read this.

[A]

It's fair to say that I've had a rough few weeks. I'm not sure if it's the fact that I recently had my one year ampu. Versary. That's a good word. Whether the COVID situation is getting to me or something completely different. I try to stay upbeat as much as possible. I try to push myself. But I'm increasingly getting tired. I went to the beach with the kids a few days ago. Evie, my 10 year old daughter, took her shoes off and went paddling in the sea. It started me thinking about the sensation of sand between my toes and the cold of the sea on my feet. Sensations I will never have again. I then spiraled downwards thinking about things. I got fixated on the thought I don't have any toes. This thought just kept going around and around. No toes, no soles, no heels, no ankles. It was quite overwhelming. I just missed my feet so much. I was never in love with them to be honest. I never really thought about them. They weren't the best feet. They weren't exactly pretty, but good God do I miss them. They were definitely useful and were certainly better than my robot feet. This makes me realize how lucky I am to have feet.

[B]

For now.

[A]

I hadn't really thought about it much. What do you mean for now? What do you. You make a prediction.

[B]

Have you been testing your blood sugar?

[A]

I probably am going to get the diabetes at some point given my current eating anyway. Okay. So he's, he's. I mean this is a poignant blog posts about what it's like to watch be jealous of your daughter's feet.

[B]

Yeah. So he's honest about the challenges of being a W. Is this gonna end

[A]

with him stealing his implicating his daughter's feet and then grafting the Monday. Oh my God. How did you know?

[B]

How did you know?

[A]

You could just tell. You could just tell.

[B]

Well, just. It's not that. But all was not as it seems. But we will get to that. So on February 2020, Dr. Neal Hopper was featured by BBC Cornwall. As he returned to work, he was performing his first amputation since his own amputations. He talks on that show about he how his experiences as an amputee has driven him to push harder for the well being of amputees. And this appearance led to more media appearances on national tv. So he was featured on shows like this Morning, which is the British equivalent of Good Morning America. And he was seen as this heroic figure. And, you know, this was happening in 2020, early 2020, right when the COVID pandemic started. So people all around the world were showing support for doctors and nurses. Remember banging pots and pans for frontline workers. That was particularly true in, you know, the National Health Service has always been a bit of an obsession there. It's often described as the country's national religion. Yeah, everyone loves a heroic doctor. Brits really, really love a heroic doctor. And Neil was no exception. So, like in 2021, he applied for the European Space Agency, which was recruiting the first disabled astronaut to go to space. He made it to the in person assessment. He was ultimately rejected in favor of a hot influencer with adhd. Now is actually a British Paralympic athlete, but still pretty good showing. And then in 2023, after years of activity and media appearances, Dr. Neil Hopper abruptly stopped posting. And this was not because he suffered complications from his amputations. He didn't die. His feet didn't suddenly grow back. It was something much darker.

[A]

What happened?

[B]

Neil Hopper was arrested and I will tell.

[A]

Not having feet, I will tell you

[B]

why in a moment. But first we have to do some background. So while Neil Hopper was busy living his best life as an amputee, the British police were investigating a website called Eunuc, which I'm very.

[A]

What? That's it? That's all you get? If you want to hear the rest, go to blocktraimporter.org and become a premium subscriber to hear the end of this tawdry tale. But in the meantime, hope you enjoyed the preview. Bye.