Seven-year-old Arlo charges down the carpeted hallway with fierce determination, his arms swinging at his sides as his parents Emily and Tyler stand ready with their phones to capture the moment. The bright teal prosthetic leg propelling him forward causes a slight wobble in his stride, but nothing slows his momentum through the corridors of Shriners Children's.
These hallway sprints have become a cherished ritual for the family. Each time Arlo receives a newly fitted prosthesis—which he affectionately calls his "leggys"—he takes it for an immediate test run while his parents document the celebration. The tradition represents far more than simple excitement over new equipment. It marks milestones that Emily and Tyler once feared their son might never achieve.
Arlo entered the world with a diagnosis of fibular hemimelia, a condition characterized by incomplete development of the fibula bone in the lower leg. The smaller bone of the two in that area had failed to form properly, leaving his parents to navigate an overwhelming landscape of treatment decisions and medical consultations.
Emily and Tyler visited multiple hospitals across the country, searching for the right path forward for their newborn son. Their journey led them to Shriners Children's, where they found an approach that transformed their perspective on Arlo's future.
"Within minutes of their visit," Emily told Upworthy, she and Tyler recognized they had found the right place. The medical team did more than outline surgical procedures. They encouraged the couple to envision Arlo's life trajectory—as a growing child, through adolescence, and into adulthood. That forward-looking conversation proved decisive.
"That really stuck with us," Emily told Upworthy. The couple canceled a surgery scheduled at another facility and transferred all of Arlo's care to Shriners Children's.
"What we found here was so much more than exceptional medical care," Emily told Upworthy. "We found people who have become part of our family's story. We found doctors who helped us make difficult decisions with confidence. We found nurses, therapists, prosthetists, and care coordinators who treated Arlo like one of their own."
When Arlo reached nine months of age, surgeons performed a Boyd amputation. The operation removed the compromised section of his lower leg while preserving his heel, establishing a stable base for prosthetic attachment. Three months following that surgery, the hospital's Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services department fitted Arlo with his inaugural prosthetic. Just before his first birthday, he took his first official steps.
Today, as Arlo prepares to begin second grade, he describes his personality as funny, crafty, nice, and a loyal companion to his friends. His current prosthetic features a vibrant pattern of yellow ducks—his preferred animal. Beth English, a therapist at Shriners Children's who has supported Arlo throughout his journey, observes that his energy remains boundless.
"He's not walking in the door. He's running in the door," English told Upworthy.
Arlo's activities extend well beyond hospital corridors. He has discovered a passion for climbing and participates in a specialized monthly class for children with similar physical differences. There, he runs obstacle courses, practices jumping techniques, and attacks climbing walls with determination.
"I started doing monkey bars in school, and then my mom found a class for kids like me, and I go once a month," Arlo told Upworthy. His climbing achievements include reaching the summit of an 80-foot wall, the tallest structure at his facility. That accomplishment fills him with pride about his capabilities.
When not scaling walls or perfecting his monkey bar technique, Arlo dedicates time to creating art and performing in theatrical productions. His diverse interests reflect the active, multifaceted childhood his parents hoped he would experience.
As the new school year begins, Arlo's trajectory remains open to possibility. His history suggests he will continue racing toward new challenges, supported by his family and the medical professionals at Shriners Children's who have guided him since infancy. Each new prosthetic fitting brings another opportunity to sprint down those familiar hallways, celebrating progress and embracing whatever adventures lie ahead.
