Danna's Story
Six months after her son Cade was born, 25 year old Danna learned that she had osteosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in her left leg. Suddenly the joys and challenges of being a new parent took on an entirely new meaning.
Danna's journey through the University Health Care system started at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, where she shared her fears and hopes with her support group. "I was so worried about being able to take care of my baby. A few months later my doctors and I made the decision to amputate my leg. I remember thinking, I'm doing this so I can be here for my son."
After the amputation at University Hospital, Danna was referred to the Amputee Clinic in the Rehabilitation Center. She worked with the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physicians, physical therapists and prosthetists to be fitted with a state of the art computer controlled leg.
Danna's next journey was to Outpatient Rehabilitation where she began learning to use her artificial leg. "I told my physical therapist, Randy, that I had always pictured myself as a 'down on the carpet mom'," she says. "Within seconds he had me laughing and up and down half-a-dozen times on the padded mat. He personalized my therapy to teach me the skills I needed to be a mom. Today I take a brisk five mile walk every morning, play on carpets with Cade, and I even race him at the park."
"All day long in the rehab gym, you see a high level of creativity among our therapists. These folks have an incredible ability to connect with patients and find out what makes them tick. With their very personalized approaches, they are able to inspire people and challenge them to go beyond what they thought was possible."
