Boy Born With Rare Leg Condition Now Climbs 80-Foot Walls: Arlo's Story of Grit and Hope

When Arlo was born with fibular hemimelia, a rare condition where the fibula doesn’t fully develop, his parents Emily and Tyler didn’t know what his future would hold. They found their answer at Shriners Children’s, where the care team treated Arlo as a whole person and helped the family plan for the life ahead, not just the medical hurdles in front of them.

Arlo had a Boyd amputation at nine months old to prepare for a prosthetic leg. Just before his first birthday, he received his first“leggy”and took his very first steps. His mother put it simply: he wasn’t walking in the door after that, he was running in it. Today, at seven years old, Arlo runs through hospital hallways, test-drives new prosthetic legs, and does the monkey bars at school. Once a month, he attends a climbing class for kids like him, and he’s already scaled an 80-foot rock wall.

His story is a testament to what happens when parents advocate for their child and find a medical team that believes in their future. Pediatric prosthetics have come a long way, but so has the heart of a kid who refuses to slow down. What’s the proudest milestone you’ve ever watched a child reach? Share it with us in the comments.