After years of begging his mother for a leg amputation, 11-year-old Amit Vigoda of San Francisco, will finally get his wish on April 10. Amit was born with the rare condition of congenital pseudoarthrosis of the tibia and fibula (the two bones that compose the lower leg) with osteofibrous displaysia–the main symptom of which is chronic fracturing. He has undergone multiple surgeries throughout his short life and a bit more than a year ago, he began routinely waking up with horrible pain due to all of the rods and nuts and bolts that have been placed in his leg over the years. Reading about what he's been through, it's easy to see why he's been asking for his leg to be amputated …
Read more ¿Qué más?: Huge Colombian baby that weighs 44 lbs. needs life-saving treatment
Fed up with the constant pain and his inability to live out a normal childhood, Amit, who is currently wheelchair-bound, has been asking to have his leg amputated for some time, but until now, his mother Zimra who has three other children, had decided to hold off.
Amit was actually born with a broken leg, and amputation has been a viable option since he was a baby, but his parents were understandably too afraid and decided to pursue every other option before getting to this point. However, Zimra explained to ABC News that this time around, Amit's doctors conveyed to her that it should be his choice not hers.
Within just a few months of his surgery this active and outgoing middle schooler will have almost no physical limits. With his prosthetic, he will be able to move very much like any other child and be able to join his brothers on the soccer field–an activity he has been yearning for for many years.
While it is utterly terrifying to imagine anyone cutting your child's leg off, and I totally understand why his parents chose to wait, I truly admire them for having the courage to let him have the surgery now. In the words of Vimra, "My kid has only one childhood," and now, he will have a shot at living it like any other kid. There are so many hard to choices to make as a parent–let alone the parent of a sick child–and each time we make one of those hard choices it is definitely a leap of faith. But considering that many other children who share Amit's condition have gone on to live wonderful lives after amputation, I think this family will be rewarded beyond measure when they get to see the brave Amit out on that soccer field.
Image via tagamit.tumblr.com
