At 3 years old, while living in Georgia, Liam began exhibiting several symptoms of cerebral palsy, including a tight leg tendon that prevented him from flexing his foot. He was diagnosed with the condition, and when he was 4, he underwent surgery to help correct his gait. The operation allowed him to regain mobility for a while, but when he experienced a growth spurt in elementary school, his rapidly changing body caused the muscles in one of his feet to become so tight that he could only walk on his toes. Luckily, when he needed his next surgery, his family had moved to Colorado Springs, and Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs was right in his backyard.

There, he began being treated by Aaron Boyles, DO, an orthopedic surgeon, and Wendy Pierce, MD, a pediatric rehabilitation medicine specialist. Dr. Boyles and Dr. Pierce tried physical therapy and serial casting, a treatment intended to gently stretch muscles over time, but Liam eventually needed surgery again. Initially, he was supposed to have surgery on both legs and feet, but Dr. Boyle decided to operate on just one side of his body to gauge his progress and determine the best route moving forward.

Just before the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Liam, then 12, went in for surgery. His recovery was long, and he had to do many of his therapies at home because of the coronavirus, but he persevered. Physical therapy helped him regain his mobility and ultimately got him out of his brace and walking again. He is even strong enough to run and jump. Liam is now a gregarious and empathetic 16-year-old. In his spare time, he likes to draw, play games and listen to music. He hopes to one day be a professional artist.