"I had no idea that donor bone existed"
Because of her deformed leg, Bo had trouble walking. A bone graft provided a solution.
What is wrong with your leg?
"Cartilage was growing on my kneecap. As a result, my leg couldn't grow properly on the inside and took on an O-shape. I walked with a bit of a wobble. It started around when I was 8, when I started walking with a kind of skip. A vertebra also grew crookedly. Several doctors didn't know what it was, until a specialist in Leiden discovered it is Ollier's disease. Because of that, I had tumors consisting of cartilage. That was a shock, but it was benign. Once I was fully grown, surgery would be necessary, otherwise I would eventually walk very poorly or maybe even not be able to walk at all."
But you were already operated on last year, why?
"The deformity was progressing too fast. I had a lot of pain when walking and playing hockey. It was also annoying that everyone stared at me on the street and gawked at me when I entered the first year of secondary school. That's understandable, but it made me very insecure. I wanted to be like everyone else. It affected me as a person."
How did the surgery work?
"Using photos and an animation video, the doctor explained what they were going to do. They had to reattach my lower leg to my upper leg. For that, they wanted to use bone tissue from a donor. I knew what organ donation was, but I had never heard of donor bone. Neither had my parents. It was also exciting, because this surgery had never been performed before. They practiced it in virtual reality first."
“I knew what organ donation was, but I had never heard of donor bone.”
How are things now, a year later?
"Good! Recovery went faster than expected, but it couldn't go fast enough for me. I was in a wheelchair and walked on crutches for almost 5 months. The surgery was in July last year, and at the end of October I was allowed to cautiously start practicing with physical therapy. Being dependent on others was frustrating, but now I'm happy. I look normal again and I've gained more self-confidence. And I feel much better about myself at school. I also went back to hockey as soon as possible. First just for fun, and now I'm working on game building, speed, and fitness."
Was it exciting that the doctor was performing this surgery for the first time?
"Definitely! He was looking forward to it because it was such a special surgery. I have an extra good bond with him, partly because he is happy with the result from a professional standpoint. So it's great for both of us."
Do you ever think about the donor bone in your leg?
"I don't dwell on it much, but I do think it's special. I'm glad there was someone who helped me with this. It's great that this is possible."
