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Amputee’s clever Halloween costumes share an inspirational message

Cancer survivor Josh Sundquist lost his leg when he was nine, but he's been turning his misfortune upside-down ever since as a motivational speaker, a Paralympian and a clever Halloween costume designer. This year, he turned himself upside-down and became a flamingo.

Balancing on pink crutches in a spandex suit, Sundquist poses head downward with his single leg-turned-beak in the air in the photo reveal of his 2013 Halloween costume.

Sundquist's costumes have made him something of an online celebrity in recent years, and he's used that attention as a springboard to share a message — find the positive in whatever ails you.

"If I'm stuck having one leg anyway, which I am, then it's pretty cool that that negative circumstance has allowed me the opportunity to make people laugh with funny pictures on the Internet," Sundquist says in a video posted to his YouTube channel on Tuesday.

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Then he reminds the audience that his lemons-to-lemonade message shouldn't be interpreted literally — your positive spin doesn't have to be a Halloween costume. But his costumes, which have included a gingerbread man with one leg eaten and a leg lamp, are pretty impressive.

Still, this year's elaborate bird design might take the trophy. Those wondering how difficult it was to hold the flamingo position long enough for a photo can consult the follow-up post on Sundquist's blog showing a series of precariously balanced poses that didn't quite reflect the flamingo's hot pink glory.

"Remember that time I almost wrecked myself trying to balance in the flamingo pose? #donottrythisathome," the post says.

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