Cancer girl, 7, has amputated leg re-attached BACKWARDS in the hope she can dance again
Amelia Eldred was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma in her femur and needed surgery to amputate the affected limb
A SEVEN-year-old girl with cancer has had her amputated leg re-attached BACKWARDS in the hope she will one day can dance again.
Brave Amelia Eldred was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma in her femur last August and underwent chemotherapy then surgery to amputate the affected limb.
Surgery to remove the tumour was carried out at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital using a rare procedure called rotationplasty where Amelia’s leg was amputated high up her thigh.
Then her lower leg was reattached the wrong way around - meaning that her heel will eventually work as a knee joint with her foot slipping in to a prosthetic.
Surgeons say smiling Amelia has coped with the surgery "brilliantly" as she has vowed to one day again dance on a stage.
Proud mum Michelle from Tamworth, Staffs said: “Amelia has now started another cycle of chemo and has one more cycle to go, plus day clinic treatment till the end of the year.
“Following her surgery she is healing very well and amazing the doctors with how quickly she is moving the adapted leg and foot.”
Amelia became ill in the first week of the school summer holidays last year while attending a playscheme, when her leg ‘gave way’ beneath her and began to swell.
Michelle and hubby Richard tried putting cold compresses on it, but the swelling remained.
On her seventh birthday last August, a biopsy revealed that it was an aggressive high grade tumour, which had not shrunk after two rounds of chemotherapy.
Amelia and her parents were told that her leg would need to be amputated.
The surgery was carried out in January and a recent scan has shown that the bones are fusing together well.
In around three months’ time, Amelia will be able to put weight on her leg and have a prosthesis fitted.
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But an NHS prosthesis is not a practical solution for a lively girl like Amelia and her parents have started fund raising to buy specially made £30,000 blades like the ones used used by Jonny Peacock on Strictly Come Dancing, one of Amelia’s favourite shows.
Michelle added:“People ask how we cope, but we take our lead from Amelia.She has been so brave and positive about all this.
"Just before her surgery she waved to her leg and said ‘bye, bye tumour, see you loser!’ After her surgery, one of the nurses overheard her say to another child: ‘There’s nothing wrong with being different.'"
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