Colton, of Ellis, Kansas, is a three-sometimes-four-sport athlete. He has a competitor’s heart. When he’s been told his prosthetic leg could limit his activities, Colton proves otherwise – every single time.
From the football field, to the wrestling mat, to the golf course, Colton shows his community that anything is possible.
“I like to say that, you know, everybody laughs at me for being different. But I laugh at them for being the same. You’re sticking out for a reason. Go chase your dreams. Anything is possible if you set your mind to it,” said Colton.
When Colton’s mom, Becky, was pregnant, the ultrasound showed something was different about his left leg. They couldn’t determine what it was through those scans. However, they were prepared to care for Colton in a way they hadn’t needed to for his older brother Dakota.
“When he was born, he was born six weeks premature. Until he was born, we didn’t have a definite diagnosis,” Becky explained.
Colton was born with fibular hemimelia, which is the complete or partial absence of your fibula bone.
“I had four toes and my ankle was growing at an abnormal angle, kind of down and out,” explained Colton.
Becky said he laid out two options: limb lengthening and reconstruction of the left ankle when Colton was 8 or 9 years old, or an amputationand lifetime use of a prosthetic leg.
She and her husband, Jim, chose amputation. They believed Colton would have a better shot at keeping up with his childhood peers, as it would be an immediate change and he would never know life without a prosthetic.
“The hardest part, my husband will say, was handing him over to the nurse on the day of surgery. But, you know, we handed him over. We said a little prayer and the good lord took care of him,” Becky said.
To date, Colton has walked on nine or 10 prosthetic legs – all outfitted for him at Shriners Children’s St. Louis. The team has given him what he needs, medically, to thrive.
You’re sticking out for a reason. Go chase your dreams. Anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
However, for the family, what makes the trip back and forth from Kansas worth every minute in the car, is the compassion they feel from the staff who cares for Colton.
“We walked through those doors and you could literally feel the warmth, the love and the caring before we even talked to anyone. We could just feel it as you walked through the doors,” said Becky.
“They’re not the doctors. They’re your family. They’re part of your family. You can feel they got your back. You can feel the warmth and the love that they have to offer,” said Colton.
Colton has been named the manager of the 2024 Kansas Shrine Bowl West Team. For years, he’s been involved in the event as a Patient Ambassador and he loves sharing his Shriner Children’s story.
His dream is to become the first Shriners Children’s St. Louis patient with a prosthetic to be invited to play in the Kansas Shrine Bowl. The team will be cheering Colton on as his high school football career progresses and he gets closer to being considered.
Colton's Head is in the Game
From the football field, to the wrestling mat, to the golf course, Colton shows his community that anything is possible.
“I like to say that, you know, everybody laughs at me for being different. But I laugh at them for being the same. You’re sticking out for a reason. Go chase your dreams. Anything is possible if you set your mind to it,” said Colton.
Colton was born with fibular hemimelia, which is the complete or partial absence of your fibula bone.
“I had four toes and my ankle was growing at an abnormal angle, kind of down and out,” explained Colton.
A family friend suggested they travel 530 miles to Shriners Children’s St. Louis for industry-leading pediatric orthopedic care. They took a leap of faith and made an appointment with Perry Schoenecker, M.D.
Becky said he laid out two options: limb lengthening and reconstruction of the left ankle when Colton was 8 or 9 years old, or an amputation and a lifetime use of a prosthetic leg.
She and her husband, Jim, chose amputation. They believed Colton would have a better shot at keeping up with his childhood peers as it would be an immediate change and he would never know life without a prosthetic.
“The hardest part, my husband will say, was handing him over to the nurse on the day of surgery. But, you know, we handed him over. We said a little prayer and the good lord took care of him,” Becky said.
To date, Colton has walked on nine or 10 prosthetic legs – all outfitted for him at Shriners Children’s St. Louis. The team has given him what he needs, medically, to thrive.
We knew when I was pregnant with him that there was something going on. We didn't quite know for sure what. When he was born, he was born six weeks premature and until he was born, we didn't have a definite diagnosis.
Speaker 2:
I have fibular hemimelia, which is the complete or partial absence of your fibula, and so I didn't have it in my lower leg and I had four toes, and then my ankle was growing at an abnormal angle, kind of down and out.
Speaker 1:
When we first met with Dr. Schoenecker, he told us we basically had two options. The first being limb lengthening and reconstruction of that ankle. He said they probably wouldn't do that until he was eight or nine years old. The second option would've been at the time is amputation at the ankle, and fitting with a prosthetic. Probably the hardest part my husband will say of the whole journey was handing him over to the nurse the day of surgery, but we handed him over. We said a little prayer, and Good Lord took care of him.
Speaker 2:
I think I've had nine or 10 legs as of this point in my life.
Speaker 1:
And, I would have to agree. If we had to make the same decision, we'd do it all over again. We walked through those doors and you could literally feel the warmth, the love, and the caring. Before we even talked to anybody, you could just feel it if you walked through those doors.
Speaker 2:
They're not the doctors, they're your family. They're just part of your family, and I feel like they got your back. You can feel the warmth and the love that they have to offer.
Speaker 1:
If you tell him he can't do something or he's not able to do something because he has a prosthetic, he's going to prove you wrong.
Speaker 2:
I like to say that everybody laughs at me for being different, but you need to laugh at them because they're all the same. So you're sticking out for a reason, and go and chase your dreams because anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
[End title card: Request an appointment Shriners STL.org, Shriners Children's St. Louis logo]
Colton has used a prosthetic leg since he was a baby.
Colton recovers after amputation.
Colton is fitted for his first prosthetic leg.
Colton creates a strong friendship with his prosthetist, Darren Rottman, BOCP, CPOA. Darren, a fellow amputee, has become a role model for Colton.
Colton, a fierce competitor on the baseball diamond, stands ready to field the next ball.
Colton, proud to play football for his hometown of Ellis, Kansas, poses wearing his gear.
Colton offers feedback on his new prosthetic leg, getting the fit perfect to avoid any discomfort.
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