My baby boy needs his leg amputated to give him a better life
Mum’s agony as Ollie faces rare bone condition
A YOUNG mum has told how she made the heartbreaking decision to have her baby boy’s leg amputated – to give him a better life.
Little Ollie Jeys was born with fibular hemimelia in July. The rare condition hinders leg growth as a baby develops.
Mum Chloe Savage, 21, said: “His right leg is only half the size it should be. When we were going for the scans, doctors told us the fibula was missing and the tibia was really short. It was devastating.
“Basically, his right leg hadn’t grown properly. He only has three toes on his right foot as well, and they’re twisted inwards. Apart from that he’s perfectly healthy.”
Ollie’s leg will be amputated just below the knee when he is around 12-18 months old.
Fibular hemimelia affects just one in 40,000 babies, leaving parents like Chloe and fiancé Robson Jeys, 25, with the agonising choice of leg-lengthening surgery or amputation.
The couple found out there were complications during their 20-week check at Birmingham Women’s Hospital.
Psychology student Chloe said: “You go into the scan worried about the heart or brain, you don’t go in thinking about the arms or legs.
WORRY
“A specialist explained it’s not genetic or anything like that but you ask yourself so many questions.
“Will he ever be able to walk? Will he need a wheelchair? All you do is worry.”
Ollie weighed a healthy 8lb 11oz at birth.
“He’s an absolute star,” said Chloe. “We’re now at the stage where he’s sitting up and rolling over. He’s just a lovely, bubbly little boy.”
The decision about Ollie’s future was very tough to make.
Chloe said: “Doctors went through all the options. Leg lengthening operations sounded too painful. It involved putting metal rods and screws in his leg to grow the bone.
“Over years, the shorter leg catches up. But he’d need more and more operations. And would it ever be perfect? Would he have problems for life? We didn’t want that for him.
“It was stressful but we decided this was best.
Once he’s had the operation, we can start looking at prosthetic legs. They’re amazing these days.
“He’ll start toddling using one, walking using one and one day running with one. Who knows, one day he could be at the Olympics.
“It will become second nature to him. He’ll grow up thinking it’s totally normal, which is what we want for him.”
You go for a scan thinking about the heart or brain, not the arms or legs. It was devastating CHLOE SAVAGE ON THE MOMENT SHE LEARNED ABOUT GROWTH PROBLEM