Teen Chooses Leg Amputation Due To Rare Muscular Disorder

At the age of 13, Kaleo Niko had to make one of the toughest decisions of his life, whether or not to amputate his legs.

According to ABC News, Niko was born with club feet and arthrogryposis, a congenital disorder in which the muscles and tendons do not develop naturally.

Niko’s rare muscular disorder, along with multiple surgeries throughout his life, had left him in an immense amount of pain, leaving the 13-year-old with a life changing decision.

According to KSL, Niko enjoyed activities such as swimming, golfing, basketball, and bowling, but because of the pain in his legs, he couldn’t take part in them for more than a few minutes.

“I couldn’t keep up with my friends. Sometimes, I just had to sit out and watch them,” Niko said.

“I remember one night, he looked at me, crying, and he said ‘I’m done,’ ” said Helen Niko, Kaleo’s mother. “They had reviewed his case, all of his past surgeries, and I think the general consensus was there is no other surgery they could do that would take the pain away and give him the quality of life that he was looking for.”

According to ABC News, Dr. Teresa Hennessey, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who treated Niko at the Shriner’s Children Hospital in Salt Lake City, said that Niko’s case was a unique one:

“Niko’s case and his treatment were unique because the disorder was confined to the muscles below his knees and his elbows. Niko’s legs above the knee are basically healthy and do not need any prostheses.”

Hennessey continued on to say that before Niko’s surgery, “It was like he was walking on solid wood prosthetics … that were painful.”

According to KGMH-TV, Niko didn’t question his decision to go through with the amputation, “I wanted it to go as good as it could go.”

And when asked if he was at peace with his decision, he answered yes.

What do you think of Kaleo Niko’s decision to amputate his legs?

Hennessey believes that the teen will do just fine after his leg amputation.

[Image via ABC News]