‘No regrets,’ says boy who gave up legs for prosthetics

For the first time in his life, he’s no longer hobbled by a congenital condition that made walking a painful and difficult task. That meant a grand entrance for 10-year-old Nick Nelson, who wasn’t going to begin an interview sitting on a couch.

Instead Nick let his parents, Greta and Gary Nelson, and his sister, Naomi, say hello to TODAY’s Matt Lauer first Monday in New York and waited for his cue. When it came, he walked into the studio on his new, high-tech, carbon-fiber “J” legs, stepped onto a riser, and took his place next to his parents on a couch.

Christmas was just four days away, but Nick said he doesn’t need to find anything under the tree: “I don’t really care if I get presents this year.” He held his new legs up for the camera. “I already got ’em.”

Two difficult decisions
Nick and his parents were on TODAY for the third time in a little over a year. Back in November 2007, he had been in New York to talk about the difficult decision he had made to have his right leg amputated above the knee in the hope that he would be able to run and jump and play sports like his friends.

A few months later, he was on again, clambering onto the set and showing off his new prosthetic leg. At the time, doctors had hoped that his left leg would work well enough with the prosthetic leg to allow him to get around as well as he hoped and end the constant pain he had to live with.

Nick was OK for a while, but eventually the pain in his left leg became excruciating. Two months ago, he made the difficult decision to have his left leg amputated above the knee, too.

After a difficult recovery that involved an infection, a second surgery, and a 37-day hospital stay, Nick finally returned home to learn to navigate on two prosthetic legs. Just 10 days ago, he took delivery of his “J” legs, built for sports.

“I’m feeling great,” he told Lauer after settling down on the studio couch. He said he still feels some pain, which is expected to go away with time. And, he said, he’s still getting used to his new legs.

TODAY Nick Nelson has gotten used to his new legs quickly.

“When I get used to them, [I’ll] have no regrets, and I’m glad I made that choice,” he said of his decision to undergo the second amputation.

Rare defect
Nick was born with a rare birth defect called popliteal pterygium syndrome. Caused by one defective gene, the syndrome expressed itself as winglike webs of tissue growing behind his knees that prevented him from being able to extend his legs.

He had undergone numerous surgeries to increase his mobility by the age of 9. The left leg had responded better than the right, but the nature of his condition made it difficult to fully correct, because the webs of tissue contained large concentrations of nerves that couldn’t be cut.

Walking was painful, and, with his posture bent by the condition, Nick got around in school in a wheelchair. Now, he stands tall: more than 5 feet and growing. And he’ll be able to play golf, a longtime dream, as well as other sports.

Archive Video   9-year-old chooses amputation Nov. 21, 2007: Nick Nelson tells TODAY about his difficult choice: amputation. Today show

“I want to play basketball,” he told Lauer. “When I had my real legs, I used to play basketball with my neighbors.”

His mom said that having the second amputation and getting two prosthetic legs was like the end of a long journey.

“It’s like the train pulling into the station,” Greta Nelson said. “We’re definitely getting on a new train, and that’s an incredibly exciting thing.”

Nick’s father, Gary Nelson, said that Nick has been able to get through 15 months full of trauma and challenge because of his attitude and determination.

“The reason he’s going to be successful is his perseverance,” Gary told Lauer.

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