Living life to the fullest

John and his family were tubing a river with friends in the summer of 2002 when John fell off and got hurt.  Everyone thought it was just a typically injury, until a sports medicine doctor did an MRI a few months later and diagnosed John with Osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, in his right leg. John was 14 years old at the time of diagnosis he had just started his 9th grade year.

John had a tumor in his right leg and 32 nodules in his lungs. The family was referred to the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview for treatment. John quickly started chemotherapy and then had his leg amputated above the knee in February 2003.

John received a very advanced prosthetic leg called a C-Leg.  This leg adjusts on its own to different terrain, without the wearer having to do any adjustments. He has also had a special leg developed to allow him to surf, a hobby he was determined to participate in. John was in the hospital for about 9 months, missing his 9th grade year then went back to the 10th grade after missing so much time at school and played and marched with the marching band and held a post with the Minnesota State Patrol Explorers, which aligned with his life-long goal—- to be a first responder.

John was cancer-free for over a year, but unfortunately he has experienced several recurrences of his disease, including recently, additional surgeries and chemotherapy for nodules in his lungs. John is no stranger to unique medical conditions. Jennifer, his mom, says he had problems when born and was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at age four. However, John has never let any medical challenges prevent him from living life to the fullest. “How can we complain about John’s situation when John doesn’t complain,” asks Jennifer. “He is inspirational and pragmatic.”
 
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