A 14-year-old is ready to have his leg amputated after complaints of ache in his ankle led to him being recognized with an aggressive type of bone most cancers.

Alex Perry, from Boardman, Ohio, got here dwelling from faculty sooner or later complaining of a damage ankle.

"It was hurting actually unhealthy. I noticed it throughout fitness center once we needed to do a one mile run. My fitness center trainer mentioned it was a shin splint. We thought it will go away quickly nevertheless it did not," the 14-year-old instructed CBS-affiliate WKBN on Sunday.

Initially, the boy's mother and father weren't too fearful concerning the ankle ache. However as time went on, their issues grew.

"I am like, 'OK you twisted your ankle.' I've achieved it one million instances as a child, you understand, operating round," the boy's father, Nicholas Perry, instructed WKBN.

"A pair weeks glided by, he is like, 'Oh my ankle nonetheless hurts.' I checked out his ankle, it was actually swollen, the ideas of his toes have been beginning to twitch."

The mother and father took their son to be assessed by medical doctors and he was finally recognized with stage 3 osteosarcoma in November 2021.

Osteosarcoma is a kind of bone most cancers that always arises within the huge ends of lengthy bones, such because the femur and tibia within the higher and decrease leg, and the humerus within the higher arm, though it may possibly start elsewhere within the physique.

In accordance with St. Jude Youngsters's Analysis Hospital, osteosarcoma is the commonest kind of bone most cancers in youngsters and teenagers, and is the third most typical most cancers in teenagers general, after lymphomas and mind tumors.

Round 400 youngsters and teenagers are recognized with osteosarcoma yearly in america. Most circumstances happen in youngsters and younger adults after the age of 10. The most cancers is extraordinarily uncommon in youngsters aged beneath 5 years previous.

In round 15-20 p.c of circumstances, the most cancers has unfold by the point it's recognized, in line with St Jude's. It sometimes spreads to the lungs, but in addition generally to different bones past the preliminary website.

Perry's mother and father mentioned they have been "fairly scared" after their kid's analysis, with medical doctors telling them that the most cancers had moved to the boy's lungs.

The 14-year-old underwent chemotherapy that efficiently handled the most cancers in his lungs, however medical doctors mentioned they must amputate the boy's leg beneath the best knee as a result of the osteosarcoma had eaten away 80 p.c of his ankle bone.

"I grabbed my son. I used to be crying and he is the one who checked out me and was like, 'Hey, you understand what dad, I would lose my leg however no less than I will be alive,'" Nicholas Perry mentioned, describing his response to listening to the information that medical doctors must amputate.

The 14-year-old has to attend round a month earlier than his amputation process. After that, medical doctors count on him to make a full restoration.

"I do know after a sure factor occurs, I will be fully high-quality, I am not fearful in any respect concerning the future," Alex Perry mentioned.

The boy's most cancers analysis got here quickly after the household had moved to Boardman from New Bedford, Massachusetts.

"We moved right here to a fixer-upper that we purchased after scrimping and saving for 12 years with in a good looking neighborhood for our 5 youngsters to develop up in," the boy's mom, Kathryn Perry, wrote on a GoFundMe web page set as much as assist increase funds for the household. "Sadly quickly after my son was recognized with stage three osteosarcoma."

"My husband has been compelled to give up his job as a result of we do not need any help system, our household and buddy help system is in Massachusetts. We've got nobody to take care of our kids whereas one mother or father works and the opposite is away with Alexander who's within the hospital greater than half the month on and off receiving his life saving remedy. We live off of our financial savings and promoting valuables to remain afloat," she mentioned.

Any funds raised will go in direction of paying for a wheelchair ramp so the boy can enter and go away his dwelling, in addition to car bills.

"The hospital Alex is handled at is an hour every manner, and our automobile broke down. We needed to have $2,500 in work achieved final month as a result of my son wants remedy, we will not go and not using a automobile. And now we have 5 youngsters. Our automobile has 130,000 miles on it and is unreliable, and we want to one way or the other buy a handicap accessible car."

"Our financial savings are dwindling and I'm humbling myself to ask for assist."

A person with ankle pain
Inventory picture displaying an individual affected by ankle ache. A 14-year-old is ready to have his leg amputated after complaints of ache in his ankle led to a bone most cancers analysis. iStock