5yr-old cancer patient becomes first child in the UK to receive a robot leg

Eddy Parry, five, has osteosarcoma - a rare form of bone cancer. His parents believe he is the first child in the UK to be fitted with a power-assisted 'robot' leg

A five-year-old cancer patient who had to have his leg amputated is thought to have become the first child in the UK to receive a power-assisted ‘robot’ leg.

Eddy Parry, from Derby, was forced to have his leg amputated in May this year after he develop a large cancerous tumour.

Instead of having a straight-forward amputation, his parents asked the surgeon to design a specialist procedure which would allow him to use his stump to control a prosthetic.

His father, Jon, 40, said: ‘The surgeon was pleasantly surprised at our suggestion and gave it some serious thought - telling us this has never been done before in a child and he couldn’t see why not.

‘Because we knew what was coming, we were all sat on the bed and looking at what prosthetic legs were out there.

‘But they all seemed cumbersome and we knew that, if he had some form of stump, it would be easier to attach the leg to.

‘It just seemed like a logical step to try to help Eddy going forward, giving him the ability to attach a prosthetic leg to a stump - therefore giving more control on eventually walking again.’

Rather than completely amputating Eddy’s left leg, the muscles and tendons in his thigh were preserved and a metal implant was inserted to replace the bone.

Eddy’s artificial leg can now be attached to the metal implant.

Eddy's father said: 'We have come so far already and we are still fighting to save our son's life. The horrible truth is, we don't know if this terrible disease will return or not - we just know there is a high possibility that it will'

Eddy (pictured with his parents, Jon and Claudia) had to have his left leg amputated in May but his parents asked the surgeon to leave a stump behind so it would be easier for him to control a prosthetic

The technique has been used in adults but the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham, where Eddy’s pioneering operation was carried out, said it was the first time it had been done on a child in the UK.

Eddy’s parents, Jon Parry and Claudia Cassner, have supported the youngster through his battle with osteosarcoma - a form of bone cancer – and have seen him undergo 45 chemotherapy sessions and 26 blood transfusions since he was diagnosed in August 2012.

They were devastated to hear Eddy would need an amputation but they knew it was the only chance of keeping the five-year-old alive.

Eddy had the 'robot' leg fitted shortly after the amputation and he has now taken his first unaided steps with it but his parents say he has a long way to go before he can walk confidently with it

Mr Parry, 40, said: ‘You obviously don’t want your son to lose his leg and, if we’d been told he would when he was first diagnosed, it would have been a horrible shock.

‘But, at this point, we were half expecting it and, given the extent of the tumour in his leg at that point, we were told there was no way of saving Eddy’s leg. And we were fighting for our son’s life - that’s what was important to us.’

Ms Cassner, 40, said: ‘Eddy absolutely loves football and going outside - it means everything to him.

‘The robot leg was a complicated idea but we were so keen to pursue it because we thought, if it doesn’t work, there was no other option anyway - we had to give it a try.’

Mr Parry said that Eddy is now taking some unaided steps.

He said: ‘We have a long way to go before he can walk at a pace unaided -but we will get there.

‘There was a lot of uncertainty about how Eddy would get on with the implant but he has had good control and strength.

Since he was diagnosed, Eddy has had 45 chemotherapy sessions and 26 blood transfusions

‘Now I’m trying to get a company on board to develop a child’s power-assisted leg. These do exist but only for adults.’

Mr Parry said: ‘We have come so far already and we are still fighting to save our son’s life.

‘The horrible truth is, we don’t know if this terrible disease will return or not - we just know there is a high possibility that it will.

‘But Eddy is a strong and courageous lad and an example to us all.’

WHAT IS OSTEOSARCOMA?

Osteosarcoma is a rare type of sarcoma of the bone.

It is most common in growing bones and is usually diagnosed in teenagers and young adults.

It can affect any bone in the body but is most common in the arms and legs.

The cause of the cancer is unknown but it is thought to be related to rapid bone growth.

The most common symptom is pain, but the tumour can also cause swelling and tenderness.

It is sometimes diagnosed when a bone weakened by the cancer breaks during a minor accident.

Source: Macmillan

Culled from DAILY MAIL