In the hallway of Shriners Children’s™, Arlo races down the carpeted corridor at full speed, arms pumping at his sides, face focused and determined. At the end of the hall, his parents, Emily and Tyler, stand waiting with their phones out, trying to catch his exuberance on camera as he rushes past.
Arlo is moving fast—but if you take a closer look you might notice a slight wobble in his gait as he takes off, as well as the brightly-colored, teal leg that helps propel him forward: a prosthetic leg courtesy of the same hospital whose hallways he’s speeding down.
For as long as he can remember, Arlo has been running through the hallways at Shriners Children’s, testing out his “leggys”—the nickname he’s given his prostheses—after every new fitting. And for equally as long, Emily and Tyler have been there to film his first test-drive. Each run is a celebration of his determination and joy, but it’s also a testament to a milestone that, when Arlo was born, neither of his parents were sure he would reach.
Finding the right path
Immediately after birth, Arlo was diagnosed with a condition called fibular hemimelia, a rare condition in which the fibula—the smaller of the two bones in the lower leg—does not fully develop. Emily and Tyler jumped into action, trying to come to terms with their son’s new diagnosis and researching which treatment options would give Arlo the best chance at a full, happy, active life. The family searched for answers at several different hospitals around the country before making their way to Shriners Children’s.
Within minutes of their visit, Emily said, she and her husband knew that Shriners Children’s was the place they wanted to be. The doctor they met with took the time to walk Emily and Tyler through Arlo’s treatment options. More importantly, though, the team also encouraged them to look beyond any immediate surgeries and imagine the future they wanted for their son as an older child, a teenager, and eventually an adult. “That really stuck with us,” Emily said. Not long after the appointment, Emily and Tyler canceled the surgery they had scheduled at a different hospital and transferred Arlo’s care over to Shriners Children’s.
“What we found here was so much more than exceptional medical care,” Emily said. “We found people who have become part of our family’s story. We found doctors who helped us make difficult decisions with confidence. We found nurses, therapists, prosthetists, and care coordinators who treated Arlo like one of their own.”
At nine months old, Arlo underwent a Boyd amputation, which is a procedure that removes the affected portion of his lower leg while still preserving his heel, creating a stable foundation for a prosthetic leg. Three months later, Arlo received his first prosthetic “leggy” through the hospital’s Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS) department, which allowed him to take his first official steps just shy of his first birthday.
Running (and climbing) toward what’s possible
Now at age seven, Arlo is getting ready to start second grade, and he describes himself as funny, crafty, nice, and “a good friend.” When he’s not busy making art or acting in plays, he’s still running through the halls of Shriners Children’s, this time test-driving his latest “leggy”: a prosthetic leg covered in brightly-colored yellow ducks, his favorite animal. Beth English, a Shriners Children’s therapist who has worked with Arlo and his family for years, can testify to his energy firsthand. When Arlo arrives for an appointment, she says, “He’s not walking in the door. He’s running in the door.”
These days, Arlo’s “leggys” are helping him do more than just race down hospital hallways. With the support of his latest prosthetic leg and with the help of his care team, he’s taking on bigger challenges and discovering how much he’s capable of.
“I started doing monkey bars in school, and then my mom found a class for kids like me, and I go once a month,” Arlo said. At his class, Arlo runs, jumps, and tackles rock walls. He’s recently scaled more than 80 feet to reach the top of the highest wall, an accomplishment that makes him feel like he’s “really good” at what he can do.
As he starts a new school year, there’s no telling where his next “leggy” will take him. If his track record is any indication, though, Arlo will be running toward whatever comes next, with his parents cheering from the sidelines and his Shriners Children’s care team there to help every step of the way.
Learn more about Shriners Children’s and how you can support children like Arlo.
