SEATTLE -- It's a first of its kind surgery in our area. A 9-year-old girl needed a partial leg amputation to remove a tumor, and her parents asked doctors at Seattle Children's Hospital to try something they'd never done before. It's called rotationplasty.
On Haley Stol's surgery day, she was understandably anxious. Haley is battling an aggressive bone cancer. After weeks of brutal chemotherapy, surgeons still needed to remove any trace of the tumor.
While no one at Seattle Children's had attempted rotationplasty before, the Mayo Clinic has used the procedure since 1998. Surgeons remove the section of bone with the tumor. The lower part of the leg is rotated and fused to the femur. The ankle and heel become the new knee, and the foot, now on backwards, can support a prosthetic leg.
The Stols share Haley's journey on Facebook, and they expected the shocked response when they posted photos after surgery.
"We responded that way," Haley's mother Nicole Stol said. "When we first heard about the surgery options, we were, what? That's the craziest thing we've ever heard. So we know it's weird."
But they also believe it's Haley's best option for a normal, active life. The Stol's feel so strongly about it, they want it to become more common on the west coast.
"There were complications that could have been avoided if we went somewhere else," Haley's father Hans said. "But it wouldn't have opened it up for other people here."
By creating Haley's new knee from her own skin and bone, the Stols hope for a faster recovery.
"There's nothing she won't be able to do once she gets her prosthetic," Nicole said. "She can climb mountains. She can do whatever she wants."
Haley's younger brother Josiah is awaiting a heart surgery. While it is necessary, it's not urgent. The family hopes to wrap up Haley's chemotherapy and post-surgery chemotherapy before Josiah's surgery.
But that hinges on how long Hans Stol can afford to take leave from work. If you would like to help the family, you can make a donation here. Be sure to mention in the comments section that it's for the Stol's.
ncG1vNJzZmihlJa1sLrEsKpnm5%2BifK%2Bx1qxmpaeTlrlww8Rmoqenp2K2tb%2BMsJyiqpRiwKat062jnmWXnr%2BtedSnm56ql6SytHnUp6ysrZGherTB0aCcq7E%3D