University of Minnesota orthopaedic surgeon Edward Cheng, M.D., couldn’t help but be moved by some of his young patients who survived bone cancer but faced amputation as part of their treatment. They were naturally nervous and worried, but Cheng was impressed by their courage and optimism throughout the process, too.
So he asked a couple of them to tell their stories for a video meant to provide hope and support for other kids going through amputations.
“It’s scary facing something like this,” Cheng says in the video. “Other children and teenagers have gone through this, too. They’ve told me how they overcame the loss of their arm or leg and were able to adapt and resume their lives. Although you become different physically, you remain the same wonderful person that your family and friends will still love.”
The video, produced with support from the Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Foundation, highlights two former patients who talk about—and show—what they can still do after having a leg amputated, such as run, jump, swim, ski, and even climb trees.
“You can do a lot more things than you think,” says one of the kids, 10-year-old Luke Schoenbauer.
Watch the video at z.umn.edu/sarcomavideo.
