Anna Griffin
When Anna was 11 years old she was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma just below her right knee.
Anna had chemotherapy and surgery to replace the affected knee and shin bone, but sadly a resistant infection meant that Anna had to have her leg amputated. She then managed with crutches to get around, until she was able to have a C-Leg fitted at Dorset Orthopaedic’s Midland clinic.
Anna's parents, Steve and Liz said: “We are grateful to SCT and Dorset Orthopaedic… despite losing her leg to bone cancer, Anna leads a full academic and social life!”
"She underwent chemotherapy and had limb sparing surgery to replace the affected knee and shin bone. Unfortunately the leg didn’t heal and despite having skin and muscle grafts there was still a resistant infection and the metal had to be removed.
"Anna went to theatre expecting to have a big operation that would take a piece of muscle from her back to patch up the leg, but when the metal was removed, the ankle bones just crumbled and so the leg had to be amputated above the knee.
"Although the amputation wasn’t expected it was actually a relief as they hadn’t cut into her back and the leg was so disfigured and completely useless as Anna had never been able to even stand on it never mind walk for over 18 months. Following the amputation she was more mobile than before and was able to get about on crutches, however she grew painful bone spurs on the stump and was unable to tolerate a prosthesis, so for a whole year she hopped on crutches managing to get around school and start catching up with her schoolwork.
"Eventually she began wearing a prosthetic leg but really struggled with comfort and the strength needed to use it. This is when I read about Scat live life to the full project and enquired if Anna could be helped with the provision of a high performance limb.
"When we heard that Anna could get funding for this leg we were overwhelmed with joy and could really see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Anna had always wanted to be a doctor but thought with her amputation it would be too physically demanding. Now it seems possible after all.”
"It has taken a while to get going on the new super leg partly because Anna kept growing and needing new sockets but in the last few months she has really taken off. She wears the leg all day, it is comfortable easy to use and helps her whole posture she now walks with a natural gait and to top it all it looks great which is so important for a 15 year old girl.
"Just as Anna finished her chemotherapy, due to her bones being so fragile she broke her good leg, this leg didn’t heal straight and needed to be re-broken and straightened so as not to wear out her knee in the future.
"We are so grateful for this leg as it really has given Anna her life back she looks just like any other teenager and manages to do everything she sets her mind to. She is even reconsidering her future career options, Anna had always wanted to be a doctor but thought with her amputation it would be too physically demanding but now it seems possible after all. So we would like to thank SCT sincerely for opening up the world for Anna.
"Anna recently received her GCSE certificates and also won a special prize for English and the Special Head Teacher’s Award. Liz describes how “It was so emotional to see her walk up and down the stairs to receive these awards after all she has been through."
