Rockford man launches amputee clothing line

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – October 6, 2014, is a day Troy Malone will never forget. It’s the day an accident at work changed his life.

“The guy released the brakes on the truck and the truck rolled up the back of my leg,” recalls Malone.

After more than 20 surgeries and two months in the hospital, he had his leg amputated.

“I wanted to move on in life,” he says. “The doctor was like ok we'll go ahead and do it in the morning and I was like whoa that's fast. I'm not upset about it. I felt it was God's will and a lot of good has come out of it,” says Malone.

Malone is now a very active, below the knee amputee. He rides his motorcycle, plays music, mentors other amputees in the area and is developing a clothing line.

“We want to make the clothing for everyone but user-friendly for the amputees,” he says.

Malone got the idea to start the line after he decided he wanted to wear two prosthetics on his wedding day: one for the ceremony and one for the reception.

“I didn't want to be taking my pants down in front of everyone just to change my prosthetic so I had some pants designed for me with a zipper in the pants leg so I could access my leg a lot easier,” says Malone. “It gave me a good idea to do all of my clothes like that so I wouldn't have to wear sweatpants every day.”

After encouragement from his wife and a chance encounter with another amputee a few months ago who told Malone she had trouble finding pants to fit her, he started Ampuwear Clothing Company with a friend.

“There's a lot of amputees out there who are struggling with the clothes that they do have. I want to be able to reach nationwide, the world, as far as getting the clothes out there.”

Right now the line just has t-shirts, but by the end of the year, Malone hopes to see jeans fitted with zippers and eventually a full line with both active wear and dress wear for men and women. He’ll travel to New York next month to officially launch the project.

“This is my reason for happening so I can get out and speak to others and let them know that life still goes on,” says Malone.

Right now the line is just for men and women but Malone hopes to eventually make clothes for children as well.

Alongside Ampuwear Clothing Company, Malone is starting a “Living Amped Up” campaign. Through the funds from the clothing line, Malone hopes to help not just amputees, but those who have been in accidents, lost jobs and are battling addiction live a positive, productive life.

To check out Ampuwear Clothing Company